Jemma Dursley and the Phoenix Soul Reborn
by GuardianDragon98
Summary: Sequel to "The Other Dursley." Set a year after DH. Jemma Dursley once thought that she was a Muggle. Turns out she isn't. With magic that will make her as legendary as her famous cousin, Jemma enters her First Year at Hogwarts where she meets new friends, makes a few enemies, and gets tangled in an underground plot to bring back darkness... unless she can stop it.
1. 1: Another Normal Day (RW)

**Okay, everyone, my sequel to "The Other Dursley." I hope you guys will like it.**

 **And this is a rewritten version. Hopefully, it's a bit better now.**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I DO NOT OWN Harry Potter. All rights to both the books and films go to the wonderful J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.**

* * *

 **Jemma Dursley and the Phoenix Soul Reborn**

 **Chapter 1: Another Normal Day**

 _A winged snake._

 _Of all things, it had to be a winged snake. Take one of the things she feared most, put wings on it, and you had a mind monster to plague your dreams. The snake was horrifying to look at. Its fierce red eyes narrowed into dangerous slits; its muddy green-scaled body coiling; and slithering through the air as its enormous bat-like wings flapped at a steady rhythm while it searched for its prey._

 _She was scared. No, she was plain terrified. But she had to push away her fear for now. She couldn't afford to be afraid now._

 _Not when she was flying hundreds of feet above the ground, without the foggiest on how she was flying in the first place._

 _Not while she was dodging wayward curses and jinxes being fired from the throngs of people down below._

 _Not when the monster of her nightmare had found its target._

 _When she dove down to pursue the damn thing, she realized that she was at Hogwarts. But it wasn't the Hogwarts she knew from when she was little. As she flew down until she was practically gliding just a foot above the people's heads, she could see that Hogwarts had become a battleground. Some of the towers had collapsed, bits of stone littered the ground... along with the bodies._

 _There was a shout, a burst of bright green light, and one came crashing through one of the windows. Just her luck, she was flying underneath and she frantically careened to avoid getting taken down along with the body as shattered glass rained down._

 _Horrified screams and a loud hiss got her attention and she lifted her head to see the winged snake far ahead. Beating her wings at a furious pace, she flew towards it and got a glimpse of what the snake had its eyes on._

 _Down on the ground, standing and covered in battle grime, was a determined-looking young man pointing his wand at the scaly winged creature._

 _The snake drew its head back and opened its mouth, revealing venomous fangs the size of lances._

 _It_ _was going to kill him._

 _Her voice came out, sounding like her normal voice but with a melodious ring to it, as she screamed the man's name..._

 ** _"HARRY!"_**

* * *

The sound of her alarm clock's beeping brought 12-year-old Jemma Dursley out of her troubled dream; and she gasped as she woke up. Furiously blinking her eyes to get rid of the image of the winged snake from her nightmare, Jemma slowly breathed in and out until her heart stopped beating fast in her chest. Once she had calmed down, Jemma glanced at her clock. It was 5AM in the morning.

And it was a Saturday.

"Ugh... Stupid early riser's habit..." Jemma groaned, sinking back into the covers, and tried to sleep again. However, once Jemma was up, she was up.

Getting out of bed, Jemma decided to put her room in order. Her bed, a pile of fluffy white pillows and red and yellow blankets, was made. Hedwig, her stuffed Snowy Owl who had been a birthday present from her older brother, Dudley, was placed on top of her neatly folded blankets. Moving on to her desk, Jemma grabbed the crumpled up balls of drawing paper, a couple of empty sweet wrappers, and tossed them into the bin. A sketchpad lay open on the desk, showing a finished drawing of a phoenix that had yet to be colored. Making a mental note to color the drawing later, Jemma went to her closet and opened it. She hastily grabbed a gray flannel jumper, track pants, and a pair of socks before changing into them. Pulling on her red trainers and wearing her watch, Jemma tossed her nightclothes into the hamper near her bedroom door. She might as well head out for a run while the day was still early and fresh.

Opening the door as quietly as possible, Jemma tiptoed out of her room and found herself standing in the narrow hallway of her family's apartment. The door right next to hers led to Dudley's room while the door next to that led to her parents' room. Hearing her father's loud snoring coming down the hall, Jemma quietly made her way to the kitchen and fixed herself a light breakfast of jam and toast. Nibbling her toast cautiously, as if the slightest sound of chewing would wake her parents or brother up, Jemma looked through the large window in the apartment's living room. She could see the entire street from down below because their apartment was on one of the highest floors.

An old man was crossing the street, waving hello to the police constable, while a newspaper salesman was going about his early morning work in delivering the newspapers.

A young lady had just opened her boutique and was, now, fixing the displays in the front window.

 _'Just another normal day in London,'_ Jemma thought as she finished her breakfast.

* * *

Bringing a water bottle and some dried fruit with her, Jemma left the apartment at 5:45AM. The elevators in the apartment building stayed operational 24/7 so Jemma didn't need to hurry up the stairs to get to the highest floor. Five minutes later, she reached the apartment's rooftop. Jemma made her way to the edge and kept an eye on the skies.

At exactly 6AM, right on time, her friend arrived.

A magnificent phoenix, the size of a peregrine falcon, landed gracefully on the ground with a newspaper clutched in its golden beak.

"Morning, Seraphine. What news do you bring?" Jemma smiled as she held out the dried fruit in exchange for the newspaper.

The phoenix's voice, female, sounded in Jemma's mind as she pecked at the fruit contentedly. _'Well, according to the Daily Prophet, more Death Eaters are being rounded up... Ooh, dried apple, my favorite... Kingsley Shacklebolt's passed Arthur Weasley's new Muggle Protection Act with some help from Hermione Granger... Ron Weasley's considered his greatest achievement to be having been included in the famous witches and wizards for the Chocolate Frog cards... Ick, prunes... Let's see... what else...?'_ As Seraphine paused to think, Jemma eagerly read through the newspaper Seraphine had brought without looking at the moving pictures until she found a certain picture that made her heart ache with longing.

A young man with unruly black hair and bespectacled eyes stood next to someone wearing grand wizard robes and the article's title read out in bold print:

 **Harry Potter to Join Ministry's Auror Department**

 _Written by: Kickis Trecus_

 ** _Shortly after helping Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic rebuild in the wake of the Second Wizarding War, Harry Potter has decided to apply for training to become an Auror alongside his fellow Hogwarts classmate (and new co-proprietor of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes alongside his brother, George Weasley) Ronald Weasley._**

 ** _Most of the wizarding world knows Mr. Potter as the famous "Boy Who Lived" and, most recently, "Saviour of the Wizarding World" after defeating the infamous Dark Lord, You-Know-Who..._**

 _'You-Know-Who's name is VOLDEMORT or, as I like to call him, "Nasty Dark Wizard with a Name So Stupid." Really, Seraphine, you'd think they'd ought to be using his real name now, would you?'_ Jemma telepathically snorted to her phoenix _(who was now pecking at the dried prunes without much gusto)._

 _'You have to understand that it's only been a year, Jem. A lot of people are still on edge because of the damage the war had caused. And the news of some Death Eaters still roaming about the country helps in keeping fear alive. I even heard that some 11-year-olds were held back from attending Hogwarts last year because of the war. Wonder how they'll be sorted into their Houses this term...'_ Seraphine told her, looking at the young girl with inquisitive brown eyes.

Shrugging, Jemma went back to reading the article.

 _ **Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley were unavailable for an interview. Gawain Robards, current head of the Auror Office, was nonetheless delighted about hearing of Mr. Potter's desire to become an Auror.**_

 **"Mr. Potter's feats of daring bravery along with his extensive experience of fighting the Dark Arts will prove to be a tremendous asset in the path he's chosen. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if he'll rise among the ranks to become the next head of this department very soon! Along with Mr. Weasley, an equally experienced and daringly brave wizard, I daresay that I've got my work cut out for me training the new recruits..."** _**Robards commented during the interview...**_

"Get rid of one dark wizard, then, move onto the next one. Classic Harry..." Jemma sighed, shaking her head in amusement, before folding up the paper. She would add this to her secret stash later when she got back from her morning run.

Seraphine, having now abandoned the prunes, flitted over to her. _'Meet you at the park?'_ she asked Jemma, who smiled as she glanced at her watch.

"It is now 6:30AM and I shall meet you there in, perhaps, 30 minutes?" she challenged her.

Seraphine ruffled her magnificent plumage and spread her wings. _'I'll be betting you wouldn't be able to resist stopping by the zoo to greet your other friends. I'll see you at 7:30!'_ she telepathically replied with a slight laugh to her voice.

"Ah, you know me too well, Ser'. I'll see you in a bit," Jemma laughed and, as her feathered sister flew off, headed back inside the building and took the elevator all the way down to the first floor.

* * *

Taking a swig from her water bottle, Jemma took off into the streets at a run. She passed by several shops, waving cheerfully to the owners as they opened for the day, and breathed in the early morning London air. As she rounded a corner, Jemma saw the apartment building she, her family, and several other ordinary families lived in rising in the distance.

Compared to the quiet suburbs of Little Whinging, London was bursting with activity even at the early hours of the day. This proved to be quite fitting for Jemma, lively spirit that she was. She simply loved traversing the streets to see what was going on outside.

Currently, it was nearing the end of her summer holidays. In a few weeks time, she would be heading off to school for her second term. Jemma was going to miss roaming around London any hour she wished. She would miss taking summer classes in fencing, too, as well as volunteering at the London Zoo's aviary...

 _'If only summer lasted just a tiny bit longer...'_ Jemma thought as she ran like the wind through the streets with the birds flying overhead and chirping noisily to her.

* * *

Jemma and her family moved to London the summer of 1997 and exactly one year had passed since she learned that her wizard cousin vanquished the Dark Wizard, Lord Voldemort. During that time, her parents did everything they could to make sure that they would start fresh and have a normal life that they hoped would stay that way.

Dudley got into various contact sports while Jemma found a fencing instructor living nearby and began to do volunteer work at the London Zoo's aviary, where she became a favorite among its inhabitants. Her parents, however, still wanted her to be as ordinary as possible so they made sure to keep a watchful eye on their young daughter in case she had any ideas of doing something remotely rebellious or scandalous.

But during weekends, Jemma had free reign and could do whatever she wanted... as long as her parents weren't trying to make her join any social gatherings of their friends at work or whatnot.

Sure, she was on good terms with her family's neighbors, some of them having families with kids her age, and attended birthday parties when invited, but Jemma preferred to be alone.

Yes, she had made the acquaintance of some students from school but she still kept to herself.

That made it harder for anyone to put a decent label on her.

Most of Jemma's classmates thought she was weird because she preferred to be alone often outside with a book in her hand - and sometimes staring; sometimes _talking_ to birds. To them, she was the definition of bizarre.

The adults, particularly her teachers, were more concerned about Jemma's severe lack of socialization and friends. Frankly, they all wondered if there was a problem with the child.

Neighbors of the Dursleys in the apartment always had something to say about Dudley, good or bad, but had nothing to say about Jemma, who was often forgotten.

Dudley, the older of the two siblings, was considered the pride and joy of Vernon and Petunia Dursley while Jemma was the black sheep of the family.

Dudley was now beginning to shed some of his excess fat and had achieved a somewhat fit, yet, stocky build. He was, now, attending a good university with mediocre, but _(barely)_ passing marks, began wearing suits like the ones his father would wear to work, and had joined his university's rugby team.

Jemma had grown into a willowy youth of a girl, her raven black hair long and sleek like a horse's mane. Her fashion sense was normal for a girl about to enter her teenage years, but she didn't like wearing dresses or long skirts. She had more of a tomboyish look to her, really. But, if people took enough time to look, they would see that Jemma had a kindly face, a warm smile that seemed somewhat hesitant, and lovely doe brown eyes. In school, she did all right, but she was always the one who sat in the back of the room and was hardly noticed. No one bullied her, yet, no one paid attention to her either.

It was too bad that her parents couldn't quite see it. They were too caught up in their own affairs to really pay that much attention.

* * *

Vernon and Petunia, after Jemma's first year in her new school, had received a letter from Jemma's headmistress that expressed concern for Jemma's lack of friends on campus. The teachers said that, while polite, Jemma didn't like being around other children her age and often wanted to be alone.

And, ever since summer started, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley had tried to get Jemma to attend social gatherings like parties at Vernon's company, Grunnings, only for her to staunchly refuse.

Dudley, who had come home a few days later than Jemma for the summer, tried to introduce his sister to some college friends of his, but Jemma always slipped away.

It was as if Jemma didn't want to have friends. In truth, she wanted to, but just couldn't relate to anyone. Often, she would be polite, cordial, and that was it. It didn't help when she developed slight trust issues and suspected that any invitation without any details of the destination or what would be the occasion was just some excuse to prank her.

In short, it was as if Jemma didn't care.

And, in some factors such as popularity, she really didn't. For her, popularity wasn't important. What was new and trendy right now, ultimately, would be overtaken by a new fad. A lot of her classmates cared about of being popular. She was content to stay at the back of the room and not be noticed.

But that didn't mean she didn't want friends. Oh, Jemma wanted friends so badly. She wanted someone she could talk to, listen to, have fun with, and share her deepest secrets...

And that was the problem.

Jemma had really deep secrets and, whenever she tried to make friends, she would always be pushed to reveal one of them.

But how do you reveal to a fellow 12-year-old boy or girl that you're related to a young wizard hero without sounding like a mental case?

* * *

Jemma had just reached The Regent's Park, after taking a quick detour to the London Zoo in order to greet the zoo vet as she was getting ready for work _(and lengthened her stay by talking to some of the eagles in the clinic)_ , and found Seraphine resting in the branches of a nearby willow.

The female phoenix turned her graceful head to the young girl and, once again, her gentle voice filled Jemma's brain. _'Strange... I figured you'd be here at a later time...'_

Jemma glanced at her watch and saw that it was only 7:15AM. _'Huh, slow day...'_ she mentally chuckled before settling down on a bench to drink the rest of her water.

A man wearing a hooded sweatshirt sat next to her and unfolded a newspaper. Jemma casually glanced at the paper before nearly spitting her water out when she saw the pictures _moving_.

"That's a copy of _The Daily Prophet_!" she exclaimed, startling the man sitting next to her.

The man turned his steely gray eyes at Jemma and frowned. "Yes, and what business is it to you?" he asked coldly. Jemma blushed, realizing that she had been rude, and quietly took out her own copy of the Prophet. "That's yesterday's news, girl," the man sneered at her.

"Oh..." Jemma mumbled, feeling mortified, before the man handed her his newspaper, much to her surprise.

"I read it earlier this morning, anyway," the man shrugged.

"Thank you..." Jemma said softly, unsure on what to say, and pored over the pages.

Seraphine alighted down to the bench and the stranger nearly jumped off the bench in surprise. "A phoenix?! How...?" he managed to mutter when Jemma said, "It's okay. She's friendly," in order to calm him. Seraphine cocked her head curiously at the stranger before shrugging her wings and settled herself on the bench to read the newspaper with Jemma.

"Huh... _'Hogwarts Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher is on his second year of teaching. The jinx on the job had been removed after the fall of the Dark Lord...'_ " Jemma read aloud while the man warily eyed her and Seraphine.

The man carefully looked over Jemma from head-to-toe, then, his gray eyes widened.

"I remember you."

Jemma looked up at the man as he stared at her. "In my third year at Hogwarts... You're Potter's cousin, aren't you?" he asked carefully.

Raising an eyebrow, Jemma stared back at him. Then, upon looking more closely at the man's gray eyes, something clicked. " _Malfoy_? Is that you?" the youngest Dursley asked, brown eyes wide.

The man pulled down the hood of his sweatshirt and white blond hair became visible. "Fancy seeing you here in London... what's your name again?" he looked momentarily confused as he tried to recall a name.

"Jemma. And it's quite a surprise to see _you_ here, Malfoy," Jemma said coolly, remembering how Malfoy had bullied her when she visited Harry during his third year in Hogwarts.

Seraphine, upon recognizing Malfoy from some of the stories Jemma told her, turned her luminous brown eyes at Malfoy and ruffled her feathers indignantly and even clacked her beak a few times to show her disapproval.

Draco blushed and shoved his hands into his jean pockets. "You're still remembering that little incident during the Christmas holidays?" he asked Jemma, who rolled her eyes at him.

"You get cornered by three bullies when you're eight and see if you can't remember it after a few years. That time when you threatened to hex me is something I can't really forget," the young girl told him before risking it and asked, "Have you heard anything from Harry these last few days?"

"Doesn't he write to you?" Draco asked her and, to his confusion, Jemma's doe brown eyes turned sad.

"No..." Jemma said softly. She knew Harry had decided to cut off all ties with her before the war in order to protect her. But, still, it didn't stop her from missing him so much. Now that the war was over, she had been secretly hoping that Harry would contact her again... only to have her hopes dashed when no letter was delivered to her via owl after Seraphine had told her the news.

Seeing that he had brought up a touchy subject, Draco coughed slightly in embarrassment. "Sorry..." he apologized.

"It's all right. I still miss him, but I understand that he's busy. As long as Harry's okay, I'm okay," Jemma shrugged, smiling slightly. Swallowing the last gulp of water, Jemma got up from the bench and stretched. "Well... it was rather... nice to see you again, Malfoy, but I best be going," she chirped and made a hand signal to Seraphine, the phoenix taking flight at her command, before handing Draco the newspaper.

Draco's mind was going into overdrive. He had just met the little girl he had once terrorized in his third year again, only she wasn't a little girl anymore. He wanted to apologize a little more for his past behavior, tell her that, if it hadn't been for her cousin, he and his family would have been stripped of their wands or, worse, sent straight to Azkaban, and tell her that he was turning over a new leaf.

But all Draco Malfoy could say to Jemma Dursley before she left was this.

"You can keep the newspaper."

"All right. Thank you," Jemma said politely and, pocketing her two copies of The Daily Prophet, took off running.

Draco was left standing there, almost as if in a daze, before sighing and Apparated.

* * *

Trusting Seraphine to stay out of sight without having to be told, Jemma went back to her family's apartment to find her parents having their breakfast with Dudley, who was still looking rather sleepy.

"Morning, Jem..." Dudley yawned, sipping his coffee to try to wake himself up.

"Morning, Dud," Jemma said, now on slightly friendlier terms as of late, and nodded to her parents.

"Good morning, Jem dear. Have a nice run?" her mother asked sweetly.

"Yeah, it was good," Jemma shrugged before heading to her room.

"Jemma, why not sit down and have breakfast with us?" her father, Vernon, inquired.

"Oh, I already had breakfast before I left, Dad. I'm just going to take a shower," Jemma replied, already closing her bedroom door.

* * *

While in the shower, Jemma pondered on her meeting with Malfoy. It was rather strange, in her opinion, to have just bumped into her cousin's former school enemy in a rather ordinary place such as the park. She often thought people like Malfoy didn't like to mingle with Muggles.

And that's what Jemma was. A Muggle. A non-magic person.

Or so she had once thought.

For, not too long ago, Jemma had received a very special message from a very special phoenix.

Fawkes, Seraphine's father and once loyal pet phoenix of the late Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore, had visited Jemma late one night in her old home in Number 4, Privet Drive, Little Whinging, Surrey and had not only entrusted Jemma with the egg that, on Halloween Night, hatched into the youngest Dursley's feathered sister... but had also revealed to Jemma that she was magical.

And she wasn't _just_ magical.

Jemma was a Phoenix Soul, a powerful witch that had the ability to command fire and possessed the gifts of a phoenix. So she was told and had yet to discover. To be honest, Jemma wasn't really sure how her magic would present itself. She asked Seraphine once but even she couldn't give her an answer.

 _'It'll probably come when you least expect it, Jem. No use worrying about it now,'_ Seraphine had told her.

Jemma took her advice, but secretly hoped that her magic would show itself when she was on her own. The last thing her family wanted, after Harry, was to have another bout of magic in their household. So, in the meantime, Jemma contented herself with being ordinary...

Well, as ordinary as she could be, anyway.

* * *

After showering and dressing up, Jemma heard her parents calling her to the living room and she went.

Once she was there, her father smiled widely at her.

"My boss just called. Said I've been promoted and there'll be a party in my honor this afternoon," he said jovially while his wife looked beside herself with joy.

"We must all go! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity!" Petunia said excitedly.

"But I had plans to go to the local pub with..." Dudley tried to protest but Vernon chuckled, "Now, now, Dudley! I'm sure your friends won't mind if you miss one night out. Besides, the party's going to be held in this new restaurant that's just opened down the street. It's hard to get reservations there!"

* * *

Before Jemma knew it, she was being forced into what she deemed to be the gaudiest and, to her horror, _pinkest_ party dress she had ever seen.

"There is _no way_ I am wearing something that pink," she stubbornly said to her mother.

"Jem dear, it's only for one night," Petunia frowned as she put the dress over her daughter's head and, without meaning to, yanked down on it hard.

 _"OW!"_

No sooner had Jemma yelped did she hear her mother scream, _"OH GOD!"_ and quickly pulled the dress on to see her mother pressed against the door in fear, her hand to her chest.

 _'Had she seen a mouse in my hair or something?'_ Jemma thought before glancing down at her dress. Her brown eyes widened as she saw that the atrocious pink dress complete with pastel pink ribbons had been changed into a fiery red one with burnt orange ribbons.

Smiling at the improvement, Jemma looked up at her mother who seemed transfixed at the sight of her. "I like this one better," she grinned before her mother suddenly seized her hand and she went rigid at the sight of her mother's cold face.

"You will not speak a word of this to your father or your brother, understand? And, while we're out there, make sure you control... whatever it is!" she snapped. Jemma, startled and confused, merely nodded. "Good," With a huff, Petunia left the room to primp herself up.

* * *

Jemma looked at her reflection in the mirror and, slowly, realization dawned on her. She had heard from Harry about how wizards and witches can perform magic even at a young age, even before getting their first wands, and she realized what got her mother into such a frenzy.

Jemma had just performed her first bout of accidental magic.

 _'Great. So much for a normal day...'_ Jemma thought, sighing, as she wondered what unusual feat would she accidentally perform next.

* * *

 **Well, that's my first REWRITTEN chapter. How was it? Leave your reviews (I accept constructive criticism and even wild raves) whenever you want.**

 **If you guys were a bit surprised at how I added Draco so early into the story, I honestly just thought of putting him there to add some intrigue to Jemma's ordinary day and, if you guys have any suggestions for the next or future chapters of this story, I'd love to hear them.**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	2. 2: From a Spark into a Flame (RW)

**Hey, everyone. Thanks for reviewing the first rewritten chapter. It made me really happy. Now, then, let's see if Jemma's "normal day" will end ordinarily... although, I highly doubt it.**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN Harry Potter! All rights go to J.K. Rowling and Warner Bros.**

* * *

 **Chapter 2: From a Spark into a Flame**

The party was merely a fancy dinner that her Dad's boss had paid for and Jemma found herself bored to death due to the fact that only adults were present. On the bright side, the food looked pretty good.

While her father merrily chatted and drank with his boss and other staff members around the large table where they were all seated, Jemma engaged in a staring contest with her wound-up mother, who sat across the table from her. Petunia Dursley had hardly touched her food, whilst her son eagerly ate up, and kept her beady eyes focused on her youngest child as if she were a bomb about to go off.

After a while, Jemma got bored of staring at her mother's wary expression and turned her attention to the meal. Some of the food looked too fancy for her, but Jemma had an adventurous palate. The grilled salmon and Caesar salad, she ate happily, while she cautiously nibbled on the caviar. Dessert consisted of a rich hot fudge sundae with whipped cream and chocolate sauce that Jemma ate with gusto. Glancing up from her food, Jemma saw that her father was having a lot to drink and briefly wondered if he would be so drunk that her Mum would have to drive them home.

By the time the rest of his family had finished eating, Vernon had received several compliments from both his boss and fellow employees coupled with several glasses of fine wine and brandy.

His voice a bit slurred from the alcohol, Vernon pointed a chubby finger at his two children and said, "One perfectly normal, darling son and one rather odd, lunatic daughter..."

"Dad..." Dudley looked at his father, looking slightly abashed, and cast an apologetic look at his sister. Petunia pursed her lips into a tight grim line while Jemma merely rolled her eyes.

 _'Nothing new here...'_ the youngest Dursley thought as she sipped her drink.

"Why, Vernon! What made you say such a thing about your little girl? She looks like a lovely angel, especially in that fiery dress of hers," Vernon's boss, the Head of Grunnings, remarked and smiled nicely at Jemma.

Vernon chuckled and proceeded to go on about Dudley's accomplishments that consisted of grades that, really, weren't all that impressive and his ability to beat down opponents in rugby before frowning at Jemma.

"Well, she _is_ bit strange. Prefers to keep to herself, has no friends in school no matter how much we encourage her to socialize, always wants to be alone, asks questions, questions, and more questions, and she spends far too much time waving her fancy sword around at those fencing lessons of hers or running around the streets like a hoodlum..." he said with disdain.

"I like fencing. It's loads of fun. And I'm part of my school's track and field team so I have to stay in shape," Jemma said flatly. _'Think of something else... think of something else... think of something else...'_ she thought to calm down.

Her father's boss and the other employees gave her praising looks while Vernon laughed mockingly. "And another thing! She spends too much time at the zoo, conversing with the birds like a crackpot loon!" Vernon said with a barking laugh that made Jemma's ears turn red with annoyance.

 _'When Transfiguring, it is important to make firm and decisive wand movements...'_ Jemma mentally recited a passage she remembered reading from Harry's old " _A Beginner's Guide to Transfiguration_ ," hoping to take her mind off of her father's ridiculing.

"She volunteers at the London Zoo's aviary," Dudley explained quickly.

"I like birds, that's all..." Jemma shrugged, seeing the flames of the candles on the table flicker dangerously. She caught her mother's eye and saw that she was not pleased at what was happening. ' _I'm trying, Mum! Dad's not helping!_ ' Jemma thought irritably and, seeing the flames flicker again, willed to remain composed as her father carried on with his tirade on her.

"Well, Jem dear, you best drop out of volunteering then. Fencing is all right as it teaches you how to fight but you'll learn nothing from birds. Best to stop volunteering and devote your time to something more useful," Vernon said dismissively.

' _Do not wiggle or twirl your wand unnecessarily, or the Transfiguration will certainly be unsuccessful..._ ' Jemma mentally recited, closing her eyes for a few minutes.

Petunia, upon seeing that her daughter wasn't paying attention, chose to speak up. "I agree with your father, darling. You spend too much time alone in the aviary and it's about time you make some friends here," she agreed with her husband. Jemma opened her eyes to look at her mother with an annoyed look on her face.

"Mum, it's what she..." Dudley, wanting to defend his sister, began to say before Jemma sharply said, "What I like to do in my life is my business, Mum and Dad. And you don't have the right to make me stop doing what I love so let's just drop the matter for another time." Brown eyes flashing angrily as the candle flames flickered again, more dangerously this time.

Petunia glared at Jemma but Vernon gave his daughter a disgruntled frown. "Now, now, Vernon! Volunteering is a rather noble thing! And, clearly, your daughter has a passion for caring for birds," one Grunnings employee said, the others murmuring in agreement with him.

"All because of that brat..." Vernon grumbled, catching his boss's attention.

"What was that, Vernon?" his boss, a portly man with thinning gray hair and mustache, asked.

"Our nephew. He had a ruddy bird as a pet and he's the reason Jemma's all fascinated with them... _The bloody freak_ ," Vernon muttered.

Jemma barely heard her mother's sharp intake of breath and didn't notice Dudley slightly move his chair away from the table. She fixed a stern, unflinching glare at her father, whom she had once adored during her childhood, as she gripped the sides of her chair.

"I didn't know you had a nephew," her father's boss said, surprised.

"He was a delinquent, sir, that's what he was. Sent him off to St. Brutus's Secure Centre for Incurably Criminal Boys to shape up, but he hardly changed. If possible, he became more of a delinquent than ever!" Vernon exclaimed, face all red due to the alcohol.

"That's a lie! Harry was never a delinquent!" Jemma shouted and the glass of wine his father's boss had just raised to his lips suddenly shattered! Dudley let out a squeak as the candles began to burn brightly while Petunia scooted her chair away, face white with horror. But Vernon, under the influence of all he had to drink, remained indifferent to the looks being sent his way. Jemma began to see red and she could feel herself shaking with absolute rage.

"It's all his fault my darling Jem's turned against me! She was our little princess, but that freak had to come and taint her with his freakishness! A freak! That's what my blasted nephew was! A freak just like his freakish parents! A freak like his equally freakish friends! A freak! A bloody, honest to goodness _FREAK_!"

No sooner had her father finished his scathing remarks did Jemma finally blow up.

"HARRY IS NOT A FREAK!" the youngest Dursley all but screamed and, at the same time, the small licks of flame burning on the candelabras blazed brightly until they became tall towers of flame!

Jemma, stunned, scrambled out of her chair along with the other guests. One of the employees present, a slim stringy-haired woman, shrieked, "Deviltry! She's a demon in disguise!"

A waiter wielding a fire extinguisher ran to their table and another sprinted to the guests with a large bucket of ice water. The head of Grunnings, aside from having a few glass splinters in his hand, was unfortunate enough to have had his tie set on fire when the flames acted up and was quickly doused. When questioned, the guests all had the same answer.

"Rather strange, really. Vernon's girl just shrieked and the candles went ablaze."

"That young lady there... had a bit of a tantrum and, then, the whole table was nearly set on fire... Almost as if she was able to control how the candles burned..."

Jemma didn't have time to hear the rest of the testimonies since her mother, helping her stumbling father, pulled her and Dudley out of the restaurant before things got out of hand. And, judging by the shocked looks of the guests and her father's angry rhino face, Jemma had a feeling that she was going to be in trouble.

* * *

"YOU GOT ME FIRED!" Vernon exploded, the large vein on his temple throbbing madly, while he and Jemma stood facing each other in the living room of the family apartment. Dudley and Petunia were sitting on the couch, their faces tense, as they watched father and daughter have a row.

"Well, if you hadn't gotten yourself all tipsy, maybe you'd still have a job!" Jemma shouted defiantly, hands on her hips.

"And you?! How long has she been like this?!" Vernon then wheeled around to his wife, a livid expression on his face.

"Sh-she ch-changed her dress's color before we left... But, Vernon, that was just one time! It was probably her first time with ma-" Petuia stammered before her husband went over to her and, to Jemma and Dudley's horror, slapped her!

"Mum!" Jemma cried out as her mother fell onto the couch face first.

"Dad, stop! She didn't mean to! Jemma didn't mean to! It was all an accident!" Dudley quickly blocked his Dad before he could have another go.

"You two, rooms, _now_!" Vernon roared, completely out of control.

Helping his whimpering mother stand up, Dudley tried to grab Jemma but Vernon slapped his hand away. Jemma gave him a look that clearly meant she wanted her brother and mother to leave before things got bad and, reluctantly, Dudley obeyed and left the living room with a weeping Petunia.

Now, Vernon turned to Jemma with a stormy look on his face. "You did it on purpose, didn't you?" he asked in a dangerously low voice.

"Set the table on fire? That was an accident. I didn't know I could do that," Jemma said quietly. Her father laughed coldly.

"Of course you didn't... First time doing those freakish things... Still not in control... I'll fix that..." Vernon muttered before seizing a belt.

Jemma immediately knew what was going to happen next and her eyes frantically darted around the room to find a way to escape.

But there wasn't one.

"Beating didn't take it out of the boy. What would Petunia say if I beat you? No matter... a good whipping ought to beat the strangeness out of you," Vernon then grabbed his daughter by the hair, dragged her to the couch, forced her to hold out her arms in front of her... and brought the belt down.

* * *

Harry Potter suddenly looked up from the huge amount of paperwork he was doing, eyes wide in alarm. His best mate and fellow Auror-in-Training, Ron Weasley, also looked up and saw the slightly alarmed look on his face.

"Everything all right, mate?" Ron asked as Harry tilted his head a bit as if trying to hear something.

"It's nothing..." Harry mumbled, going back to his paperwork.

"Doesn't sound like nothing when you said that..." Ron said, knowing that Harry had a knack for keeping his worries hidden, and waved his wand on the pile of paperwork on Harry's side of the desk they were sharing. Harry gave him an exasperated look as all of his papers flew to Ron's side.

They'd been in the Ministry of Magic's Auror Department office all day, it was getting late, and they had to accomplish all of this paperwork before they left! Then they had a full day of hands-on training tomorrow! They needed every bit of sleep they were going to get tonight if they wanted to, at least, stay awake!

"Mate, I saw that look you had on your face. Something's wrong," Ron said as-a-matter-of-factly.

Sighing, Harry pushed his glasses up his nose. "I don't know... Just suddenly thought about Jemma, that's all..." he mumbled, remembering the last time he had seen his younger cousin, his face tinged with sadness.

Jemma had been ten going on 11 the time they said goodbye... How much had she grown now?

Seeing his friend's saddened look, Ron smiled reassuringly. "Cheer up, mate. I'm sure she's fine. She's Jemma, the one who pulled down Malfoy's pants down while wearing your Invisibility Cloak in third year, remember?" he reminded Harry, who couldn't help but laugh at the memory of his plucky younger cousin pranking his former school nemesis.

"Do you think she remembers us, Ron? It's been a year..." Harry mumbled uncertainly.

"Of course she would still remember! You're her _cousin_ , mate. She'd remember you the most. The two of you grew up together," Ron reminded him.

That's when a familiar face peeked out from the half open door.

"Hey, 'Mione," Ron mumbled, blushing, and quickly went back to his paperwork while Harry managed to get his own back onto his side of the desk.

"Still have work to do?" Hermione asked with a slight smile.

"Afraid so," Harry shrugged, wearily finishing one paper and moving onto the next. Why did Auror training have to involve so much _paperwork_? Wasn't it supposed to be all about catching Dark Wizards out there and not sitting at a desk, signing random sheets of parchment?

"The meeting at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures just finished. So far, all of the new rules regarding house elf payments are being approved," Hermione said casually.

"That's good," Ron said, managing to look up from his paperwork to smile at her, Harry nodding in agreement.

Then, Hermione took a deep breath and, slowly, let it out. "I don't really know how to say this... But, Harry, Malfoy's looking for you," she said after a minute of careful deliberation.

Harry looked up from the desk, eyebrows raised, while Ron gave Hermione a wary look. "He's not here to hex him, is he?" Ron asked his girlfriend cautiously.

"No, he's not. And, even if he wanted to, he wouldn't be able to. I confiscated his wand the minute he told me why he was at the Ministry," Hermione grinned and, as proof, showed Harry and Ron a wand that was clearly not hers.

"Brilliant," Ron grinned back while Harry stood up, stretching a bit, and followed Hermione out the door.

Draco had changed out of his sweatshirt and jeans from earlier morning into a tailored suit. Once he saw Harry, Draco smiled coolly. "Burning the midnight oil, Potter?" he asked.

"You can say that, Malfoy," Harry shrugged before lapsing into silence while Hermione _(and, peering out of the door, Ron)_ watched closely.

Ever since the end of the Second Wizarding War, Harry had made his peace with Draco and vice versa. Too much had happened between them during their years at Hogwarts and during the war so, frankly, the peace between them was still fraught with tension. They still couldn't forget all their animosity towards each other and weren't too keen to become friends right away.

While they weren't friends, per se, and had yet to be on the first name basis, they were now civil towards each other. No hexing or cursing, and both men hoped to keep it that way.

"Hermione said you wanted to see me?" Harry spoke first after a long silence.

Draco nodded. "I was in a park in London this morning and... I met your cousin," he said bluntly.

Ron and Hermione looked at each other, surprised, while Harry frowned in confusion. "I've got two cousins from my Mum's side of the family. Which one are we talking about?" Harry asked his old school rival.

"Jemma," Draco smirked upon seeing the surprised look on Harry's face and added, "The very same one who pulled a fast one on me during third year. I swear, I think she's a Weasley in disguise." with a light laugh.

Harry stared at Draco, astonished. ' _So Jem now lives in London...'_ he thought. "And... is Jemma doing all right? What was she doing? When you saw her?" he asked, knowing that he sounded a bit too eager for information. But he couldn't help himself. He hadn't seen or heard anything about his younger cousin in a long time...

Draco shrugged. "Nothing, really. I think she was just having a morning run. Oddly enough, she had her pet phoenix with her," he replied before cringing slightly as Hermione exclaimed, "Jemma has a pet _phoenix_?!"

Harry shared a confused glance with Ron. As far as he knew, the Dursleys didn't allow pets into their abode.

"The thing looked exactly like the one Dumbledore had _(Harry didn't fail to notice the flash of guilt in Draco's eyes as he said his former professor's name)_ , but she said it was a female," Draco said, watching the Boy Who Lived's face closely.

Harry, once he had processed the information regarding Jemma and that she had a pet phoenix, nodded slowly.

"Jemma... she... well, she misses you. She was asking me if I had any news from you. But I bet that phoenix of hers is keeping her updated, delivering yesterday's copies of the Prophet," Draco told him, noticing the guilty look in Harry's eyes. And, truly, Harry felt guilty. He knew that it would be best if he stayed away from the Dursleys, but it was awfully hard for him to keep away from Jemma. There was no doubt that Harry missed his younger cousin...

As Draco turned to leave, making sure to ask Hermione for his wand back, before Harry decided to say, "Thank you." Making the blonde wizard look over his shoulder and say, "First time anyone's thanked me in a long while." With a slight smile on his lips.

Once Draco was gone, Harry went back to finishing his paperwork with Ron, who was now chatting with Hermione over what just happened.

"You think he was telling the truth?" Ron asked him as they left the mostly quiet Ministry.

"I think so..." Harry shrugged and absentmindedly fingered with the bracelet on his right wrist. It was made of fraying red and yellow gold ropes with a scarlet red phoenix feather cleverly woven into the strands. A lucky charm, actually, made by Jemma before they said goodbye...

Hermione, curious as always, looked at the bracelet that her friend had been wearing ever since their Horcrux hunt and finally understood. "Jemma gave that to you, didn't she?" she asked quietly. Nodding, Harry prepared to use Floo Powder to get home to the Burrow... and he let his mind wander to Jemma.

Was she okay? Harry really hoped that she was.

* * *

Back in her room, Jemma winced as she stared at the angry red welts and marks caused by her Dad's belt. Luckily, she'd only gotten about ten strokes so it wasn't so horrible. Still, it hurt like hell. But not as much as hearing her father's threats to disown her if she showed more signs of "freakishness." Every lash she got, Jemma had to promise her Dad that she wouldn't do anything again. But she knew that it was stupid to promise that. She was going to keep having accidental bursts of magic until someone helped her control it. To do that, she would have to go to Hogwarts and study.

 _'They'll never let me go. Mum and Dad will try to hide me every chance they get. Unless they send zillions of my Hogwarts letter in the same fashion Harry got his...'_ the youngest Dursley thought bitterly.

More than anything, Jemma wanted nothing more than to see Harry again. She wanted to march up to him, shout at him, _scream at him_ , for leaving and not contacting her once the war was over, and for just not being there. This was the second time Jemma had ever felt angry at Harry, the first time... was when she found out that they would have to say goodbye. Remembering that day brought tears to Jemma's eyes. Suddenly, her brown eyes widened as she looked down at her mangled arms.

' _Phoenix tears have healing powers... I can't believe I forgot about that..._ ' Jemma mentally berated herself and, with help from the pain she was feeling, began crying on her outstretched arms to heal her injuries.

Once she had healed herself and the redness of her arms vanished, Jemma went to her closet and grabbed some nightclothes to change into. Then, when she didn't hear anything coming from either her parents' or Dudley's rooms, Jemma knelt down beside her bed and took out a large trunk from underneath.

It was where she had stashed all of Harry's old school books _(First Year all the way to Sixth Year)_ from Hogwarts and a ton of other stuff she had gotten from Harry's friends. Chocolate Frog cards she got from Ron, her copy of " _Hogwarts: A History_ " from Hermione, and drawings of the House Crests of Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin as well as Hogwarts castle Harry drew for her during his First Year. Harry had let her keep all of this for safekeeping, knowing that he wouldn't need them when he left to fight in the war, and it gave Jemma some comfort knowing that she could have his school things to remember him by.

Taking out the old red wool Weasley sweater she wore almost every chance she got when she was eight, Jemma crawled into bed and held it close to her chest. Today had been one heck of a day and it had ended badly. For a while, Jemma lay moping in her bed until she decided to look at the positive. And, once she did that, she managed to smile a little.

The day Fawkes had told her had finally arrived. Her magic was beginning to show itself. She would have to tell Seraphine about this first thing tomorrow morning and see what she could do to train up.

Jemma hugged the old Weasley sweater close to her and began to sing...

" _Close your eyes, dear little one..._

 _Sleep, sleep till rise of sun..._

 _Don't be afraid for I'm here..._

 _Bad dreams and pains won't come near..._

* * *

 _I'll stay awake through the night..._

 _Then we'll play come morning light..._

 _As you dream, know this be true..._

 _I'll always, always, love you..._ "

Yawning after she had finished singing, Jemma glanced at the small framed photograph by her dresser. It was the one picture of Harry that she had, taken by her friend, Dr. McKellar, when they had visited her at a nearby local zoo a few years back, and Jemma treasured this far above anything else.

Jemma smiled at the picture of her and Harry, smiling happily with their arms around each other, and whispered, "Goodnight, Harry..." before closing her eyes and falling asleep.

* * *

 **Phew... I'm going back to school on Monday so updates will be sporadic again. I'll just have to make sure the rewrites of the next chapters and succeeding new chapters will be good. Wish me luck!**

 **Read and review! Those two things make me very happy ;)**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	3. 3: Training (RW)

**Another REWRITTEN chapter. Let's see how Jemma will practice her new magic with a little help from Seraphine... and a most unexpected assistant. Enjoy!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 3: Training**

Jemma slept peacefully, the excitement of her first magic keeping her disturbing dreams of Harry and the winged snake at bay, and woke up bright and early that Sunday morning. Quickly dressing in a short-sleeved shirt, sweatpants, mismatched socks, and her old trainers, Jemma left her room. She cautiously pressed her ear against the doors to her brother and parents' rooms before sneaking out. Breakfast would have to wait. She had to go tell Seraphine the good news.

Heart beating fast with excitement, Jemma headed for the rooftop. Seraphine had just returned, another copy of _The Daily Prophet_ clutched in her golden beak, when she arrived.

"You will not _believe_ what happened last night, Seraphine!" Jemma excitedly exclaimed.

' _Jem, calm down!_ ' Seraphine's amused voice filled Jemma's brain as she was handed the paper, which she folded up to read for later. ' _Are you trying to wake up all of London? Use your inner voice.'_

Jemma sheepishly blushed upon realizing that, in her excitement, she had forgotten to use telepathy in speaking with Seraphine. Calming her thoughts, Jemma shifted to using her mind's voice and spoke.

' _It's happened, Ser'. I had my first accidental magic incident last night.'_

Seraphine's reaction was not what Jemma expected.

The phoenix suddenly launched herself up into the air and, to Jemma's confusion, flew towards a few rubbish bins stacked on top of one another, and attacked something hiding behind it! Jemma went to the pile of rubbish bins, unsure on what to do, before hearing a familiar voice.

"OUCH! GERROFF ME! OW! OW! OW! YEEEOOOUUCCHH! JEM, CALL YOUR BIRD OFF!"

" _Dudley?!_ " Jemma saw a flash of scarlet feathers and a bit of her older brother's pudgy face from behind the bins. Going behind them, the youngest Dursley found a stocky teenager wrestling with an agitated female phoenix.

"Jem! Thank God! Get this ruddy bird away from me!" Dudley howled as Seraphine's razor sharp talons scratched at his arms and face.

' _Seraphine, stop! That's my brother!_ ' Jemma ordered telepathically and her feathered friend immediately stopped attacking.

Perching on top of one of the bins, Seraphine ruffled her feathers. ' _A spy, that's what he is, Jem! He was spying on us!_ ' she accused, her brown eyes practically leering at the cowering Dudley.

Upon hearing Seraphine's words, Jemma fixed a sharp gaze on her brother. Dudley looked all out of breath and he had scratches all over his arms. The ones on his face were particularly nasty. She supposed that he must have seen her sneak out and decided to follow her. Had she been more careful in leaving the apartment, Jemma would have gotten to Seraphine undetected, and would have freely told her all about last night with no interruptions.

Alas, she had not.

And, from the looks of it, Dudley was going to need answers before Jemma could make him promise not to tell on her.

With a sigh, Jemma turned her head to Seraphine. ' _Normally I wouldn't want you to cry, Ser', but can you be a dear and patch up my brother here?_ ' she requested politely.

Seraphine obliged, albeit her displeased look did not vanish, and fluttered over to Dudley. The poor bloke whimpered and tried to scoot away but Jemma seized his arm and made him stay. Dudley then watched, warily, as Seraphine bent her beautiful head down and let pearly tears fall onto his scratched arms. Then the phoenix flew up to hover over Dudley's head and, as he looked up, cried another fresh set of healing tears that fell onto his face.

"Odd... I could have sworn..." Dudley mumbled, looking at his arms, and tentatively felt his face only to feel nothing marring it.

"How long have you been here?" Jemma demanded, glaring slightly at him.

"Not long... I-I saw you leave the apartment and... and I followed you... to here... And I saw... I saw you with that... _thing_..." Dudley answered slowly, pointing a stubby finger at Seraphine who clacked her beak and turned her head away from him.

" _She_ is a _phoenix_ , Dudley. And she does not take kindly to being called a _thing_ ," Jemma reprimanded him. Dudley's eyes widened to almost comical size and Jemma had to remind herself to stay cross with him so she wouldn't laugh.

"A phoenix? Like... like the ones that burst into flames when they die?" Dudley asked. He had once read a book about mythology in his university's library, out of boredom waiting for his next class, and had come across the phoenix in one page. The book, all in all, was rather boring for him but he could remember a bit about the phoenix entry he had read mostly because the idea of a bird bursting into flames was kind of cool.

"Yes, and they are reborn from the ashes," Jemma supplied the missing bit of information for him and folded her arms across her chest. "And just _why_ were you spying on us?" she asked, gesturing to herself and to Seraphine. Dudley scrunched up his face, deep in thought, before the words slowly came out of him with much difficulty.

"I was, well, worried about you. Dad punished you and... I did nothing. I followed you... because... I wanted to make sure you were okay."

Jemma's doe brown eyes widened almost as comically as her brother's, yet her face remained passive. "Well, you don't have to be so worried now. I'm doing quite all right," she said softly. Dudley never really worried about her. This was something new... and a little strange as well.

Dudley looked relieved before glancing at Seraphine, who was now perched next to Jemma. "All right, Jem, what exactly is going on? I won't tell anyone, really, I promise," he said, dying to know what on earth his little sister was up to.

Jemma looked to Seraphine for guidance. ' _Tell him. It's not like anyone will believe him if he decides to talk... and we can always give him a fair warning if he tries..._ ' Seraphine said craftily in her head.

' _That fair warning better not involve your beak and your talons,_ ' Jemma rolled her eyes at Seraphine before facing her brother.

"Fine, I'll tell you. But you must swear on your life not to tell a soul," She said seriously.

Dudley nodded.

* * *

And so, Jemma recounted Fawkes' visit from almost two years ago, his entrustment to her of his daughter when she was just an egg, revealing that she was magic... everything. It all came spilling out of her in a flurry of words and appropriate hand gestures.

After she finished telling Dudley that what had happened last night in the restaurant was a sign of her developing magic, Jemma looked at her brother carefully and waited for his reaction.

Dudley only grinned and said one thing.

" _...Wicked._ "

Jemma let out a laugh while Seraphine rolled her eyes. "So you'll be going to Harry's school, then?" Dudley asked with keen interest.

Jemma looked at her scuffed up trainers and shrugged. "I don't know. I'm way past 11-years-old and I doubt I'll even get my letter. And you know Mum and Dad... they have no tolerance..." for she managed to say before Dudley said, "Magic." Making her look at him in surprise.

In their family, the word ' _magic_ ' was taboo and it sent a shiver of fear down her parents' spines whenever she said it. When _they_ said it, it was always said in a tone of disgust. But, here, Dudley was saying it in a tone that wasn't disdainful at all!

"That's the first time I've ever heard you say that word," Jemma remarked and Dudley smiled.

"Well, that's what you are: _magic_ ," Dudley told her.

"I suppose you're right. Anyway, I was just about to ask Seraphine what she thought about last night's incident before _somebody_ interrupted, Throwing a pointed look at her older brother, Jemma then turned to Seraphine. Dudley made himself scarce so as not to interrupt the conversation between the two. ' _Well, Seraphine, what should I do now?_ ' Jemma asked her phoenix.

' _If what you did really was your first time doing magic, Jemma, I think you have to learn how it works. It'll be easier if you just experiment with your magic for a while until you figure out how it gets triggered. Once you've done that, work on controlling that specific factor so it doesn't go out of control,_ ' Seraphine instructed her.

Jemma nodded and turned to Dudley. "She said that I go trial and error on this. I have to learn _how_ my magic works before I can think of controlling it," she explained.

Almost at once, Dudley said, "I can help."

Seraphine flapped her wings once and gave the stocky young man a curious look.

" _You_? Help?" Jemma asked, sarcasm dripping in her tone.

Dudley sheepishly scratched the back of his neck. "It's not really something I like to do on a regular basis, but... yes, I want to help you. Maybe I can get you some stuff for you to practice your magic on and help you... figure it out..." he said slowly.

' _When the dud wants to help you, there is always some sort of secret agenda,_ ' Jemma thought and placed her hands on her hips. "Pray tell, brother of mine, why the sudden offering of assistance?" she asked, raising an eyebrow, looking almost haughtily at her older brother.

Dudley's pudgy face scrunched up as he thought hard on what to say. He wasn't always good with words and it took time for him to find the right ones to say, but he was trying hard. After picking out the best words he could find, he strung them together into a sentence like a giant necklace, and rehearsed the sentence several times in his head until he memorized it by heart.

After about five minutes of careful thinking, word picking, sentence forming, and mental rehearsing, Dudley spoke to his little sister.

"Harry saved our lives and I feel that I owe him for all the years I've been so cruel to him. When he saved my life, I began to see that magic wasn't bad and I wanted to change.

"Telling him that he wasn't a waste of space before we moved was a start. Then... when Dad punished you for doing magic by accident, I saw that there was a chance that I can really change for the better.

"If I help you with your magic, then, maybe I can finally stop being so afraid of it. And... and, in some way, it'll be like paying back Harry the long overdue debt I have to him..."

Dudley, after finishing his little speech, awkwardly coughed while Jemma and Seraphine merely looked at him. Seraphine let out a little note of surprise while Jemma just stared, her slightly superior look crumbling into one of shock. "So this is your way of thanking Harry?" she asked him.

"And it's one way of protecting you from Dad when he gets angry. If I can help you learn how to handle your magic, the less chances he'll have to punish you, Dudley nodded.

Jemma thought about it for a bit. Dudley was truly sincere, yes, but he would be going back to school in a few weeks along with her. They would have to work fast and find out as much as they can about Phoenix Soul abilities before time ran out. They would also need to keep track of progress, have some references to back them up, record what has been done...

That's when Jemma got an idea.

"Do you still have that video camera Mum and Dad got you last Christmas?" Jemma asked her older brother.

"Yeah, why?" Dudley asked, confused.

"You'll be the recorder. That means you have to record videos of me practicing my magic for future reference. Once you go off to university, leave the video camera with me so I can still watch the old videos to help me practice," Jemma instructed.

Nodding, Dudley then smiled and held out his hand. "I guess this means we're partners," he remarked.

"Yeah, I suppose we are," Jemma smiled as she and Dudley shook hands.

* * *

Going back to their apartment, Dudley and Jemma started looking for a few things that could possibly help with Jemma's training.

"Maybe we should start small? Get a bunch of candles and see what happens?" Dudley suggested. Jemma shrugged and found a few candles stashed in the kitchen cupboards.

But, when the two siblings turned around from their candle search, they found themselves face-to-face with their parents.

Vernon gave his daughter a suspicious look, which made Jemma pale slightly and she tried to hide behind Dudley. Petunia noticed the candles her children were holding and pursed her lips.

"What are you both doing with those candles?"

At their mother's query, Dudley and Jemma glanced at each other nervously.

"Uh... we're getting them for someone next door..." Jemma replied, hoping that her Mum and Dad couldn't tell she was lying.

"Next door? Not going to repeat last night's stunt, are we?" Vernon growled, the vein near his temple beginning to pop out. Jemma hid behind her brother, not wanting to let her father see the fear on her face.

Dudley shook his head quickly. "No, of course not," he said, hiding the candles behind his back.

Dudley and Jemma's parents stared at their children suspiciously for a few moments, before Petunia finally said, "Well, all right, then. Time for breakfast, you two." And herded the family into the dining room.

Vernon, unfortunately, confiscated the candles from Dudley and Jemma. "We will not speak of last night's events. Do you hear me?" he asked Jemma in a low voice as they ate breakfast. Jemma meekly nodded and gloomily ate her scrambled eggs and kippers.

"I'll just get some from the store later," Dudley whispered to his little sister when their father went to get the mail and while their mother scrambled some more eggs for him.

* * *

" _Protego!_ " Harry shouted, pointing his wand at his fellow Auror-in-Training, Holly Rovins, as she was Stunned. Ron quickly flanked Holly and aimed a Full Body-Bind Curse at the masked Death Eater.

With a short cry of outrage, the Death Eater toppled to the ground in a heap and watched, his eyes glinting with hatred behind the mask, as Robards and other Aurors surrounded him.

"You all right, Holly?" Ron asked as he helped the young witch up.

"I am never taking hands-on training lightly ever again!" Holly, a wispy young girl with chestnut hair, exclaimed and warily glanced at the paralyzed Death Eater surrounded by all the official Aurors. Harry pocketed his wand and cast a sideways glance at Ron, whose face was looking grim.

It was supposed to have been a regular hands-on training exercise for their Stealth and Tracking course, a simulation of a mission. All the Auror trainees were partnered up, sent into a vast marshland, and were supposed to take turns in tracking each other's movements.

Then, all of a sudden, a Death Eater showed up and the whole exercise was thrown into disarray.

Nobody was killed, thankfully, but some trainees were unlucky enough to have gotten a few injuries due to being stunned, like Holly. One trainee, a tall and barrel-chested wizard named Gregory Vicar, had been subjected to the Cruciatus Curse and was currently propped up on a mossy rock and being attended to by some healers that had appeared on the scene.

Robards had his lips set into a thin line as he pulled off the Death Eater's mask, revealing a pock-marked face with greasy grey hair.

"Augustus Rookwood," Robards said, his Aurors pointing their wands at the Death Eater in case something happened.

Ron, a look of pure disdain on his face, performed the counter curse. Rookwood's stiff form slackened and he looked at all the Aurors surrounding him with fury.

When his gaze landed on Harry, he sneered. "You may have killed our master, Potter, but that doesn't mean you've eliminated all evil! You'll see! You'll see! We will rise again! The Muggles won't know what hit them!" he shouted as the Aurors took him and they Apparated out of the marshland with him.

"Percy and George will be relieved to hear he's been put away in Azkaban..." Ron muttered before noticing Harry's grim expression. After hearing Robards praise him for the use of the Full Body-Bind Curse, Ron went over to Harry and asked, "You all right, mate?"

Harry fingered his bracelet before asking, "You don't think they'll come back... do you?" looking a bit concerned.

"And go back to killing Muggles for fun? Slim chances of that happening after most of them were rounded up after the war. And did you see Rookwood before they took him? He looked a bit mad to me," Ron replied.

Nodding, Harry went with Ron and the other trainees to discuss their plans for the next day of training. But his mind kept replaying Rookwood's words.

" _We will rise again! The Muggles won't know what hit them!_ "

Harry was worried that Rookwood hadn't been mad all along and that he was serious with his threat. The mere thought of Death Eaters venturing to the Muggle world to start killing again frightened him. More Muggle families would be slaughtered... Everyone in danger...

' _But Ron's probably right. There can't be that many Death Eaters left anyway..._ ' Harry thought as he and the other Aurors-in-Training planned for their next training exercise.

* * *

Back in the Muggle world, Jemma and Dudley set their routine. They had only about three weeks left before school started so they devoted every spare moment they had with training. They went to the apartment building's rooftop every early morning, where Seraphine would be waiting for them with a copy of _The Daily Prophet_ , and Dudley would have an assortment of candles along with his video camera.

On her first day of training, Jemma stared at the candles Dudley had brought with him for a long time while her brother recorded the whole thing on his video camera. Seraphine watched closely as Jemma kept on staring at the candles.

"Is something supposed to happen?" Dudley whispered, seeing that his sister's eyes were watering.

"I think so... I just don't know what..." Jemma muttered, rubbing her eyes, and stared fiercely at the candles. She knew that she had to be able to do something with these candles. What she did at the restaurant was proof of that. But, what?!

"Ugh! What do I do?!" Jemma exclaimed, slamming a fist on the concrete floor near the candles.

Suddenly, some of them were lit!

"Oh no, I didn't get that..." Dudley muttered, positioning his camera.

"At least we now know that I can light candles when I'm mad..." Jemma shrugged and took notes of what just happened on a pad of paper.

"Well, if you can do that while you're mad... You think you can do it when you're not?" Dudley asked her.

Jemma tapped a finger against her cheek. Could she do it without letting her temper get the best of her? Could she, perhaps, light the candles if she willed it?

Fixing her gaze on the candles, Jemma concentrated and thought hard.

' _Light up!_ '

And all the candles lit up.

"Did you get _that_?" Jemma looked to Dudley excitedly.

Dudley gave her a thumbs-up.

* * *

At the end of the first week, Jemma had mastered lighting and extinguishing candle flames. Dudley replayed all the videos and Jemma took note of all the areas in where she would need to improve.

Second week, after practicing lighting and extinguishing the candles, Jemma began to experiment with morphing the flames into different forms. Dudley, after nearly getting his camera melted when Jemma had succeeded in morphing the fire into a bird and having it fly, started bringing a bucket of water along with the usual equipment.

As the second week whiled away, Jemma and Dudley soon found themselves getting along quite well. No longer did they bicker like in the past. In fact, they'd bonded over videos, candles, and reading _The Daily Prophet_ with Seraphine.

Seraphine, nonetheless, was impressed by Jemma's abilities and Dudley's capability to keep mum about what he and his sister were up to from their parents. "It isn't easy hiding this thing, but it's necessary," Dudley remarked.

Jemma laughed as she lit the candles again. To her surprise, the flames danced about cheerfully and seemed to shine brighter. "Interesting..." Jemma mumbled, recalling how she blew up at her Dad's congratulatory dinner, and watched some of the videos Dudley had recorded.

Some of the videos had been recorded when she was having a bad day and Jemma could see that, like in that incident, she would cause some of the candles to completely burst into flames and gobs of wax.

"I think my emotions are linked to my magic. When I get angry, the flames get out of control. When I'm happy, the flames dance," she told Dudley who was recording her.

"What about when you're sad?" her brother asked. Jemma turned to Dudley and, all at once, couldn't help but feel sad that he was going back to university soon. She was going to really miss him...

In response to Jemma's dampened mood, the candle flames flickered and...

"The flames die..." Jemma murmured and Dudley patted her shoulder.

* * *

As good it was to practice her magic, Jemma found herself subjected to everyone's scrutiny. Word of what she did in the fancy restaurant got out and, now, it seemed like everybody living in the same apartment building as the Dursleys was avoiding them all. That definitely made things between Jemma and her father worse, who now barely acknowledged her. If Vernon had watched Jemma closely before, he was now doing his best to ignore her. Only Petunia, who looked at Jemma as if she would suddenly do something awful, asked her every now and then if she was all right. Jemma would just smile halfheartedly and say, "I'm fine, Mum." Before leaving her in peace.

Truth be told, Jemma felt far from fine. Nobody in the building wanted to talk to her or even go near her, and her parents were barely speaking to her!

There were afternoons where Jemma would lock herself in her room, ignoring everyone and everything, and tried to distract herself from her loneliness by reading. Harry's old books became her friends and just opening one of them was enough to make Jemma smile.

Sometimes, when Dudley wasn't around, Jemma would go to the rooftop to train on her own. There, she chatted with Seraphine and told her of her woes while practicing. Seraphine always listened and never failed to cheer her up whenever they had their chats.

Other times, Jemma would leave the apartment and go running. At least her parents, who banned her from all other family outings following the dinner incident, allowed her to go wherever she wanted. Running helped Jemma forget about her problems momentarily and, aside from reading Harry's books as well as her daily morning magic practice with Dudley and Seraphine, served as a release.

* * *

But, now, the last week of summer was upon her. And that meant no more practicing with Dudley as they both got ready for school.

"We'll still have weekends to meet up, Jem. Just make sure not to lose this," he reminded her, indicating his video camera.

Jemma smiled a little and remembered something important. "Hey, I joined a track and field event being held at Regent's Park tomorrow. Would you like to come watch?" she asked timidly.

"Sure. I'll bring Mum and Dad, too," Dudley smiled.

"Thanks, Dudley," Jemma chirped only to receive a surprised look from her brother. "What?" she asked.

"That's the first time you ever called me by my name!" Dudley exclaimed, grinning. Jemma laughed and, glancing behind her, she could see Seraphine's feathers ruffling as the phoenix's melodic laughter filled her mind.

* * *

 **Didn't change much. Added an extra paragraph or so and fixed the formatting. Hope you're all doing well ;)**

 **Read and review whatever and whenever you want. Constructive criticism is welcome!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	4. 4: In Which Many Things Happen (RW)

**This was one of the problem chapters. Hopefully, I've worked out the kinks and it has improved. Enjoy!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN Harry Potter. ALL RIGHTS GO TO J.K. Rowling, THE QUEEN!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: In Which Many Things Happen**

The first thing Harry noticed when he entered the Auror Office was that everyone in the entire Auror Department had been assembled. Hermione and Ron, included in the group, surrounded Kingsley Shacklebolt. The Minister of Magic's face was grave as he addressed the new arrivals.

"We've received intelligence that Death Eaters are planning to attack Muggles at The Regent's Park in London. I want some of you to head there and keep an eye out for trouble. Make sure, that when there's an attack, no Muggles are harmed or caught in the crossfire, Kingsley ordered.

With murmurs of, "Yes, sir." and "Right." Aurors and Aurors-in-Training alike headed for the Floo networks.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione all looked at each other nervously before approaching the Minister. "Sir, how exactly did you come by this information?" Hermione asked. In response, Kingsley took out a piece of parchment from his robes.

On it, the Dark Mark was drawn along with the words **'Regent's Park, 8AM.'**

"One of the Aurors in charge of putting Rookwood in Azkaban found this in his robes. During the trial, the Wizengamot questioned him about the meaning of the note. When Rookwood refused to tell, he was given Veritaserum and the truth slipped out," Kingsley said, his face grave.

Harry felt his stomach lurch. Death Eaters were going to launch an attack on Muggles at The Regent's Park... Draco told him before that he had seen Jemma there... If there was a chance that Jemma happened to be at the park when the Death Eaters attacked...

"We need to go," Harry said suddenly and looked at Kingsley, silently asking for permission. Kingsley nodded before giving him and his friends instructions that they were not to use any magic unless the Death Eaters struck first. They were also reminded to Obliviate all the Muggles who would bear witness to the attack as soon as the crisis was averted.

As they left, Ron looked to Harry and saw that his best friend looked really pale. "Something wrong, mate?" he asked carefully, seeing Harry nervously twisting the bracelet on his wrist.

"Jemma lives in London. If she's there at Regent's Park right now..." Harry swallowed, unable to finish his sentence.

"The chances of Jemma being there when the Death Eaters attack, Harry, are rather slim. And even if she _is_ there, nothing bad will happen to her. Not while we're there," Hermione reassured him as they reached the Floo network.

Harry could only hope that she was right as they travelled to The Regent's Park by Floo Powder one-by-one.

* * *

"Did you have a good breakfast?"

"Yeah."

"Drink enough water?"

"Yeah."

"Went to the loo before we left?"

"Yeah."

"Did you stretch and limber up?"

"Yeah. And, Dudley, shouldn't you be finding a seat?"

Jemma couldn't help but smile as Dudley fussed over her while lacing up her running shoes. Her brother was the reason why their parents came in the first place.

Dudley knew that they, most especially their father, wouldn't want to be seen and recognized should Jemma have another bout of accidental magic, but he was persistent in getting Jemma familial support. He had begged several times with his Mum and Dad until he threatened them that he would resign from his university's rugby team if they didn't come out to watch Jemma race.

A large area of The Regent's Park had been converted into a sports ground, with different courts for various events. A track oval, which was going to be used for the race, had been made and everyone was milling excitedly around it.

The bleachers were now filling up with parents, younger brothers, and younger sisters who had all gone out to watch. Jemma caught sight of her parents squeezing into their seats, a few people who have already sat down complaining about getting squashed by her father's walrus belly, while she and Dudley were near the oval track getting ready.

"I hope you win, Jemma. I'll be recording this for future generations!" Dudley grinned, waving his video camera in the air.

"What on earth will the future generations need it for?" Jemma asked jokingly.

"They'll be inspired by you and will want to become runners, too! Have them eat your dust, Jem!" Dudley cheered his sister on and, to add to Jemma's amusement, produced a little red flag from his jeans pocket and waved it merrily.

Jemma laughed and got up from the bench when she finished tying her laces. "Well, go on! Hurry before they run out of good seats!" she laughed, pushing her brother forward.

Dudley left to go find a seat while Jemma stretched and did a few more limbering exercises to loosen up her joints and muscles. It was a beautiful, sunny day with no signs of rain.

As her eyes wandered about her surroundings, Jemma could see her Dad trying to wake himself up with coffee he had bought at a nearby kiosk, her Mum fanning herself with a large peach pink fan, Seraphine safely perched in a nearby tree where she couldn't be seen, Dudley readying his video camera as he sat down on the bleachers closest to the track, a few people looking about and marching up and down the bleachers, Hermione, Ron, and Harry trying to squeeze their way through some people to find seats...

Wait a minute...

Jemma gasped and did a double take to make sure she wasn't seeing things. Sure enough, there they were; the Golden Trio were at Regent's Park and, from the looks of it, up to serious business. Jemma briefly wondered if they were on another Horcrux hunt before a sharp whistle was heard.

"Runners to the starting line!" the official bellowed and all of the runners headed to the track.

Jemma hastened to follow, checking to make sure that the number _11_ on her jersey was properly placed, and, upon passing the bleachers, tried to make eye contact with Harry but failed to do so as another runner behind her pushed her to hurry up.

But a small flicker of hope ignited in Jemma's chest as she saw the trio sit down next to Dudley, who still hadn't noticed them, and she gladly kept it aflame as she took her place at the starting line.

* * *

"See anyone with the Dark Mark?" Ron whispered to Hermione as they scanned the crowd.

"No..." Hermione told him, frowning as she scrutinized a few members in the crowd.

"I know we're supposed to be alert and all, but I gotta say that I think we'd easily win a race like this one. We've had a lot of experience running, Ron grinned, earning a laugh from Hermione.

Harry chuckled as he watched the young couple and wondered if he should have invited Ginny to come with him on this recon mission. _'Too risky... but it would have been nice to have her here...'_ he thought, remembering that Ginny had to prepare for her seventh year at Hogwarts. She was Head Girl, having gotten her letter a few days ago, and had had to endure a fair amount of teasing from Ron and George _(who both received a fierce Bat-Bogey Hex from her, much to Harry's amusement)_.

A week later and Harry will accompany the Weasleys to King's Cross Station to see her off. For now, he focused on maintaining eye contact with the other Aurors stationed around the area. Some of them were posing as security or were on the emergency medical team, and some others were disguised as snack vendors. One of those disguised Aurors handed a bottle of water to a stocky young man fiddling with a video camera... whom Harry instantly recognized.

 _"Dudley?"_

The man in question nearly spilled water all over his camera as he turned his head to find himself face-to-face with his cousin. " _Harry_? Wow, haven't seen you in a long while..." he spluttered, looking surprised but also delighted to see him.

"Likewise," Harry managed a small smile as they shook hands, his own hand nearly getting crushed by Dudley's firm grip.

Dudley, then, anxiously glanced at the row of bleachers he knew his parents were sitting at before breathing out a sigh of relief. "Lucky Mum and Dad can't see us..." he mumbled before grinning at Harry. "Jem's going to be glad to see you," he said, Hermione and Ron noticing him, and pointed to one of the runners at the starting line.

Harry followed Dudley's pointing finger and his heart grew warm at the sight of his younger cousin, clad in a red jersey and running shorts. Jemma looked the same but, at the same time, different. She was taller now and had lost all her childhood baby fat, attaining a svelte build. Her raven black hair, reaching past shoulder length, was tied into a bouncy ponytail that bobbed up and down as she jogged in place to psych herself up for the race. Her fair skin had become lightly tanned and her face had a few pimples, which was common in young girls reaching adolescent age. But, despite all that, Jemma's lovely doe brown eyes remained the same, bright and full of life.

Harry smiled widely while Ron remarked, "Blimey, is that _Jemma_? She's grown..." and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"She's 12 now. She'll be turning 13 in November. _And_ she's made it to her school's track and field team as well as the fencing team," Dudley said proudly and promptly hollered, "Oi! Jem, look here!" and waved his camera arm in the air.

Jemma heard her brother call her and looked at the row of bleachers her brother, her cousin, and her cousin's friends were seated and waved.

And the widest grin spread across her face when she saw Harry cheerfully waving to her.

" _Good luck,_ " Harry mouthed to her and Jemma nodded, smiling.

Then , the official shouted, "Runners, get ready!"

 _'You can do this. Stay focused, Jem, eyes on the prize. You've got this...'_ Jemma thought as she got into position, pressing her knuckled hands into the dirt, and took a deep breath.

Everything seemed to vanish, except for the track oval and the bleachers where her five main supporters were. Jemma saw Seraphine on her perch, looking excited and ready to fly alongside her when the race began.

"On your marks..."

She glanced back at the bleachers and saw Dudley already holding up his camera...

"...Get set..."

And Harry, her dear cousin, was smiling at her, his emerald green eyes bright with love and pride for her...

" _...GO!_ "

The official's starting pistol went off and Jemma tore across the track oval along with the other runners! Her feet pounded the dirt as she ran as fast as she could, the shouts and cheers of the audience ringing in her ears.

"Go, Jemma!" Hermione cheered.

"Leave them in the dust! Run like you're being chased by angry spiders!" Ron whooped.

"Look at her go! That's my sister, ladies and gentlemen! My sister, the track queen!" Dudley hollered, his camera shaking in his beefy hands, as he recorded Jemma running past several runners as they made the left turn on the track.

Harry almost forgot that he and his friends were on a recon mission and was beside himself with excitement as he saw Jemma take the lead. "Run, Jem, run! You can do it! Go, go, go!" he shouted encouragingly to his younger cousin.

Jemma heard them and, upon hearing Harry cheering her on, pushed herself to run faster... faster... faster... until she ripped through the finish line tape.

Ron and Hermione both jumped up and hugged, before blushing and quickly taking a half step away from each other. Dudley was hopping up and down while failing at keeping his camera steady. And Harry was clapping and cheering like his cousin had just won the Quidditch World Cup.

' _I feel like I'm flying! Best day ever!_ ' Jemma thought ecstatically as she did a victory lap around the track to the sound of the crowd's cheering.

Then... it happened.

She had closed her eyes so she didn't see the flames. Only when she heard the screams of shock and exclamations of surprise did Jemma open her eyes to see the shadow of a great bird below her... and that the shadow was _her_ shadow. Jemma felt the air pouch underneath her... underneath her _wings..._ felt the air under her _feathers..._

' _Oh, my God... I've turned into a bird!_ ' Jemma thought in shock as Seraphine flew beside her.

' _Jem, you didn't just turn into a bird. You're a phoenix!_ ' her feathered sister told her, eyes wide in astonishment.

Looking down, Jemma could see several people in the audience looking up at her and her feathered best friend in wonder and awe.

The runners she had beaten were also keeping their faces to the sky, their mouths wide open in amazement.

Dudley, himself, was watching her fly in open-mouthed shock with his camera still trained on her while her parents, Jemma worriedly noted, both wore matching expressions of horror.

As for Harry, Ron, and Hermione, Jemma could already tell that they were just as shocked as everyone else.

' _Ser'... what do I do now?_ ' Jemma turned her scarlet head to Seraphine, begging for guidance. Before Seraphine could answer, a cry rose up.

"DEATH EATERS!"

From out of nowhere, people shrouded in heavy black cloaks and wearing gruesome masks appeared and began firing hexes, curses, and jinxes all over the place! The disguised Aurors and Aurors-in-Training immediately drew their wands and began fighting back while the crowd of Muggles ran for cover. Harry, Ron, and Hermione all Stunned as many Death Eaters as they could, Dudley tailing them, as they led the Muggles to safety.

" _Crucio_!" a Death Eater emerged from the bleachers and fired the Unforgivable.

" _Protego_!" Harry bellowed and put up a Shield Charm on the terrified Muggle family that had been the Death Eater's target.

"Come on!"

"This way!"

Ron and Hermione, while fending off attacks, helped their friend lead several Muggles to safety. Obliviating people's minds was out of the question at the moment. They had to take care of the Death Eaters first.

Dudley, then, heard the screeching of birds and focused his gaze on the two phoenixes in the air frantically swooping and diving to avoid getting hit by spells. "Harry, we have to help Jemma and Seraphine! Hurry!" he yelled and ran towards the track oval.

"Go save Jem, Harry! We'll handle things here!" Hermione told her friend as she and Ron went on ahead to lead more Muggles to safety.

Harry sprinted to the track oval while Stunning Death Eaters left and right. He saw Dudley evading spells and bolted after him. Phoenix song filled his ears, giving him immeasurable courage, and Harry kept fighting his way through to protect his two cousins.

"Dudley, look out!" Harry yelled just as Dudley was hit by a jinx while a Stunning Spell hit him square in the chest. Landing flat on his back, Harry groaned and sat up. He saw two Death Eaters appear in front of Dudley and grab him before disappearing.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jemma narrowly dodged a nasty hex but, all of a sudden, a cry of " _Descendo_!" was heard and she and Seraphine were suddenly brought down to the ground!

A cry of pain came from Seraphine, who had landed badly on her port wing, and Jemma suddenly found herself surrounded by flames. "Seraphine!" she cried out and stopped herself short, stunned to hear her human voice again instead of a bird's call, as the flames swirled around her and, then, vanished.

Seeing her phoenix friend on the ground, Jemma quickly made her way over to her and realized that she was back to her real human form. Wrapping her arms around Seraphine, Jemma fearfully looked around and saw that a whole group of Death Eaters had surrounded them. Jemma tried to carry Seraphine and run, but one of the Death Eaters fired a jinx that sent her flying! Jemma yelped as she landed on the ground hard, the wind knocked out of her, and another spell sliced through the air, missing her by an inch.

Sitting up, Jemma saw that there was no escape and whimpered, clutching Seraphine close to her, while the Death Eaters tried to decide what to do with her.

"What should we do with them?" one Death Eater asked another.

"Someone like her... and with a phoenix... Powerful magic..." another Death Eater murmured.

"Bring the fat Muggle here. We'll dispose of them both," the first Death Eater sneered. Jemma then saw them shove Dudley into the circle.

"Jem!" Dudley croaked, nearly tripping over his own two feet, and went to his sister. Jemma let out a small squeak upon seeing that her older brother's face had become covered in angry red welts while the Death Eaters laughed at the effects of the successful Stinging Jinx on him.

"A Muggle, a phoenix, and... no doubt about it, a witch, probably a filthy Mudblood... Not as much victims as we wanted, but they'll do," the first Death Eater said coldly and raised his wand. Jemma and Dudley could only cling to each other, terrified, as Seraphine crouched in front of them, her feathers sticking up in protectiveness.

" _Expelliarmus_!"

" _Stupefy_!"

" _Levicorpus_!"

All those spells and many more were fired at the Death Eaters by the Aurors and Aurors-in-Training, giving Harry the opportunity to get through the circle and reach Dudley, Jemma, and Seraphine.

"Harry!" Jemma shouted, immensely relieved to see him.

" _Finite Incantatem_ ," Harry murmured, pointing his wand at Dudley's face. The red welts vanished and Dudley groaned in relief. "Dudley, get them out of here," Harry instructed before shouting, " _Protego_!" and shielded the four of them as hexes were fired. Seraphine staggered to her feet and, with a pained cry, tried to flap her wings.

"Harry, Seraphine's port wing's broken... I can't leave her," Jemma said worriedly, still holding onto the phoenix.

Harry quickly racked his brain for ideas and came up with one. "I'll rejoin the fight in a bit!" he shouted to his comrades and turned to his cousins. "Okay, I want you both to hold onto me and, whatever happens, don't let go," he instructed them.

Once Dudley and Jemma _(with Seraphine in Jemma's grip)_ did what they were told, Harry Apparated the four of them to outside the park. "All three of you still in one piece?" he asked once the sensation of being squeezed through a rubber tube had passed. Dudley and Jemma both nodded while Seraphine chirped in reply.

"Good. Now, you three have to go somewhere safe. I have to keep fighting," Harry told them and turned around to head back to the park's sports grounds.

"Harry, wait!" Jemma suddenly ran towards him and hugged him tightly. Harry, as dangerous the situation was, couldn't help but embrace her fiercely. "I've missed you..." Jemma whispered, tears welling up in her big brown eyes.

"I've missed you, too, Jemma I've missed you so much," Harry murmured, looking down at her and smiled. "I need you and Dudley to go home with your Mum and Dad where you'll be safe. And be brave, Jem. I'll try to come back and see you when this is over," he told her gently.

"I will," Jemma nodded as she let him go.

"Be careful, Harry," Dudley wished his cousin good luck and took Jemma's hand in his and, with Seraphine perched on his shoulder, went to join the other Muggles that had been evacuated while Harry went back to fight the Death Eaters.

* * *

Vernon and Petunia Dursley were just about to give up when they saw their children - and an abnormally scarlet-feathered bird - getting pushed and shoved from pillar to post in the crowd.

"Dudley! Jemma!" Petunia screamed hoarsely as she fought through the crowd to get to her children.

"Mum!" Dudley yelled and, holding Jemma's hand, squeezed through the crowd to get to her.

Petunia quickly embraced her son before looking at her daughter fearfully. "Jem, dear, what did... _What did you do...?"_ she whispered sorrowfully.

"Mum, I don't know. I swear... I really don't know..." Jemma said quietly before seeing her father angrily stomping his way over to them.

Vernon's face had turned a nasty reddish purple color that, oddly enough, reminded Jemma of beetroots and the big vein in his temple was pulsing madly. Without a word, Vernon motioned to the whole family to follow him to the car.

' _Oh, I am in trouble..._ ' Jemma thought, no longer feeling like the happiest girl alive, and miserably plodded after Dudley with Seraphine perched on her shoulder now.

* * *

Kingsley had been right. This new attack made the attack yesterday look like a play date. About twenty-five Death Eaters had been caught by the Auror Department and it took hours to modify the memories of all the Muggles that had been present at the event. Apart from that, some Muggles that hadn't been able to escape early on suffered from minor to almost severe injuries and had been sent to hospitals as night fell.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were tasked with repairing all the damage the fight had caused. "Bloody hell... it's like they want to start another war..." Ron muttered as he waved his wand and repaired some of the bleachers that had been blasted to bits in the fight.

"They must be operating underground. We'll have to start an investigation..." Hermione guessed.

"I'll check in with the Minister and Robards and see what they can do..." Harry murmured before spotting a cat with oddly familiar markings on its face.

"Professor McGonagall!"

Upon hearing Harry's call, the cat transformed into the Headmistress of Hogwarts. "Good evening, Mr. Potter," Professor McGonagall greeted the young Auror-in-Training and, upon seeing the damage the Death Eaters had caused, took out her wand and used the Repairing Charm to fix most of the carnage.

"Professor, what are you doing here?" Hermione asked.

"I was checking the list of first years expected to attend Hogwarts this year and I realized, quite surprisingly, that I may have missed one particular future student, Ms. Granger," Reaching into her emerald green robes, Professor McGonagall pulled out an acceptance letter to Hogwarts.

"Professor, you _forgot_ to send someone their letter?" Ron asked, eyes wide at the discovery, before yelping when Hermione swatted the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for, 'Mione?" Ron grumbled before Hermione shushed him.

Smiling slightly, Professor McGonagall handed Harry the letter. "Hold onto this for me, will you, Mr. Potter? I might lose it before we make it to the address," she said primly.

Harry looked at the envelope, made of heavy yellow parchment with the purple Hogwarts seal, and turned it over to look at the address.

 _MS. J. DURSLEY_

 _11th Floor, Apartment 3B_

 _Cornswall Towers_

 _LONDON_

The feeling of jumping off and being pulled right back up went through Harry and he carefully pocketed the letter. Hermione and Ron also looked at the letter and both of them looked at each other, looking thoroughly amazed.

"Gawain, may I borrow Mr. Potter, Mr. Weasley, and Ms. Granger for a while?" Professor McGonagall asked the Head of the Auror Department, who had arrived to assist in cleanup duty.

"Certainly, Minerva! Hogwarts business, I presume?" the Head of the Auror Department inquired.

"Yes. It appears my old age has made me rather forgetful of some things," Professor McGonagall said breezily before turning to the Golden Trio.

"Come along, then. I do hope you have your Invisibility Cloak with you, Mr. Potter..."

* * *

Jemma had honestly hoped that her father would just shove her into her room and lock her in when they got home but, alas, that was not to be.

Vernon, after locking Seraphine in a broom closet _(the phoenix putting up quite a fight before he swatted her inside)_ , had taken out his belt, and, to Dudley and Petunia's horror, began whipping Jemma mercilessly!

"Vernon, no! Stop! Vernon, please, stop!" Petunia howled and tried to stop her husband only to get shoved away.

"Dad, stop it!" Dudley roared and, throwing caution to the wind, rugby tackled his father to the ground and ripped the belt from his hands.

"You give that back, Dudley! I'm not finished teaching the little freak a lesson!" Vernon roared, struggling under his son's weight, while Jemma lay on the floor, whimpering quietly and her face covered in angry red marks.

" _VERNON_!" Petunia wailed, face white as milk, upon hearing her husband call Jemma such a thing.

"I swore to myself, the day that boy left, that there will be no more freaks in this house! If I have to beat the magic right out of her, then, by God, so help me I will!" Vernon bellowed, finally succeeding in getting Dudley off of him.

"Touch one hair on my sister's head again and I won't forgive you for the rest of my life!" Dudley shouted, still holding the belt out of his father's reach, and stepped in front of Jemma to protect her.

Vernon looked ready to blow a gasket when, suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

"Get her out of my sight," Vernon said gruffly to Dudley, who was more than glad to take Jemma and brought her to her room. Petunia, still shaking tremulously, went to the door and opened it. Before her stood four people... and one of them made her scream both in fear and happiness.

"Aunt Petunia..." Harry managed to say before he saw his Uncle Vernon glowering at him.

" _You_! You caused it! Why I ought to...!" Vernon spluttered and tried to get his hands on his nephew, before seeing the stern-looking woman in emerald green robes looking at him with her hands clasped in front of her.

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Dursley. Perhaps it would be best if we all get inside before the neighbors start poking their noses into our business?" Professor McGonagall politely requested.

Vernon looked ready to explode but, nonetheless, let the new arrivals come in. He made sure to give his nephew the nastiest look he could muster but, to his great dislike, Harry ignored it. Sitting down in the living room, Professor McGonagall, Harry, Ron, and Hermione could tell that the atmosphere was tense.

Hermione was the first to hear the angry screeches coming from the broom closet. " _Alohomora_ ," she waved her wand and, in a flurry of scarlet and gold feathers, Seraphine came out. Seeing Vernon, she screeched indignantly and tried to get to him but Petunia seized a broom and tried to swat her away.

"A phoenix, or any animal for that matter, should not be kept in a broom closet," McGonagall said sternly to the frightened mother and calmed Seraphine down by stroking her beautiful head.

Ron took it upon himself to keep Seraphine from attacking and let the bird perch on the couch he and his friends were on, murmuring, "Blimey..." in amazement as he petted her.

Harry, upon seeing Professor McGonagall nod in his direction, took the letter out of his pocket and handed it to her. Petunia let out a small sob upon seeing the envelope while Vernon clenched his meaty hands into tight fists.

"I wish to speak to your daughter regarding her acceptance into Hogwarts, if you please," Professor McGonagall said politely.

"Absolutely not! I will not let her become more freakish than she already is!" Vernon yelled.

"How _dare_ you?!" Hermione shrieked, appalled by his behaviour.

Harry glared at his uncle and said in a low voice, "Don't you dare insult Jemma in front of me."

Vernon laughed a nasty laugh. "And why shouldn't I, boy?" he sneered.

"Because she isn't a freak!" Harry snapped at him.

"Well, she wouldn't be a freak if she hadn't stuck to you for all those years! Bloody girl's been infected thanks to you and your lot!" his uncle spat out venomously.

" _Infected_? Jemma's Harry's cousin! His mother was a witch and your wife's sister! It's only natural that she'll have magic, too!" Ron told Vernon, glaring daggers, and liking him less and less by the second.

"That'll do, Mr. Weasley," Professor McGonagall said and fixed a stern gaze on Vernon and Petunia. "It's been informed to me by the Ministry that your daughter has already performed feats of accidental magic and rather incredible feats, might I add. With power such as hers, proper training on how to control it is essential. Now, please, may I speak to Jemma personally?" she asked, her tone sounding that she meant business.

Vernon looked ready to refuse once more, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione all had their wands out. Ron, in particular, looked ready to let Seraphine loose and the phoenix had trained her beady eyes on Vernon's mustache.

"Sh-she's in her bedroom with Dudley..." Petunia stammered upon hearing no complaint from her husband.

Professor McGonagall thanked her and motioned for Harry to follow. Knocking on Jemma's bedroom door, she waited for Jemma to reply.

"Who's there?" a wary male voice answered.

"Dudley Dursley? I'm here to speak to your sister," Professor McGonagall answered.

"She's a bit out of sorts at the moment. Come back later," Dudley answered.

Worried, Harry knocked on the door himself. "Jem? Big D? It's me. Can I come in?" he asked hopefully.

The door opened and Dudley's relieved face was the first to greet him. "Harry! Thank God..." Dudley breathed out and let him and Professor McGonagall in.

Harry, then, saw Jemma and felt his heart clench painfully upon seeing her swelling face. " _Jem..._ " he whispered, seeing her curled up on bed, and went to her side.

"Hi, Harry..." Jemma managed a small smile and crawled over to her cousin to give him a hug.

"I tried to stop him, Harry! I'm so sorry!" Dudley apologized profusely.

Harry nodded to let him know that he didn't blame him. But, then, his face grew hard upon realizing that his Uncle Vernon had done this to sweet, young Jemma. When he gently placed a finger on her cheek, Harry's heart broke upon seeing Jemma wince. Thoughts of giving his uncle a long overdue comeuppance, however, fled from Harry's mind when he heard Professor McGonagall breathe out, "Merlin's beard..."

"Come here, Jem..." Harry pulled his younger cousin into his lap as Professor McGonagall conjured up a glass of water for her.

"Thank you, Professor Minerva..." Jemma thanked her, taking big gulps to soothe her parched throat.

"Ms. Granger, do you have any dittany with you?" Professor McGonagall called out. Hermione appeared at the doorway, a bottle of Essence of Dittany in her left hand. She gasped upon seeing Jemma's face, but swallowed her disgust for the Dursleys when she saw the smile on the young girl's face.

"Hi, Hermione!" Jemma chirped cheerfully as if she was having a good deal of catching up with one of her friends. Hermione smiled and, upon hearing Ron threatening to set Seraphine on Vernon, handed the bottle to Professor McGonagall and went back to the living room.

"What's that going to do?" Dudley eyed the bottle curiously.

"This will fix her up in a bit..." Soaking the tip of her hanky in the bottle, Professor McGonagall gently dabbed it on the welts on Jemma's face. The youngest Dursley let out a surprised yelp as greenish smoke wafted from the spots dabbed on. "Dear me... on the arms, too..." Professor McGonagall said fretfully and attended to the welts on Jemma's arms.

"What did he _do_ to you?" Harry asked, wrapping his arms protectively around Jemma.

"It doesn't really matter, Harry," Jemma shrugged, the strange smoke disappearing, and smiled upon seeing that all of the angry red marks on her skin that her father had caused were replaced by new skin.

"Of course it matters, Jem. Dad hurt you. Do you really think we're going to stand for this?" Dudley asked her. Jemma shrugged again, not in the mood to argue.

"Right, then. Ms. Dursley, I believe this is yours," Professor McGonagall handed her the Hogwarts acceptance letter.

Jemma's doe brown eyes widened and her hands trembled as she broke the seal and read the letter enclosed in it. As soon as she read it, Jemma looked at Professor McGonagall with a curious look on her face. "But... I'm no longer 11..." she mumbled.

"True, Ms. Dursley, true. But your name's been recorded in the Book of Admittance since the day you were born.

"The only reason why you weren't sent an acceptance letter last year was due to the massive changes in the Wizarding world following the war. One of those changes concerns the placement of students in their respective years.

"We've done away with the age-designated system for now and have decided that, regardless of their age, newly - sorted students will start at First Year, but will be taught classes appropriate for their age level," Professor McGonagall explained and smiled gently at the youngest Dursley. "I take that you are willing to attend this coming September 1st?" she asked.

"Yes, definitely, absolutely! I'd love to go!" Jemma all but squealed, making her brother and Harry laugh.

"Very well, I'll let your parents know that you've accepted," Professor McGonagall said and left the room.

The door was left open and Dudley, Harry, and Jemma could hear the whole conversation.

"Mr. Weasley, why, may I ask, is the phoenix ripping up the couch?"

"Ron, I told you not to let her misbehave!"

"Better the couch gets ripped up instead of that git!"

"Oi! Who are you calling ' _git_ '?!"

"Vernon, please!"

Seconds later, Hermione and Ron arrived in Jemma's room with Seraphine. No sooner had the door been closed did they hear the beginnings of an argument among Jemma and Dudley's parents and Professor McGonagall, who promptly cast _Muffliato_ to keep the argument to the three of them only.

"I hope your Professor's going to be all right with Mum and Dad They can be pretty stubborn when they want to, especially Dad..." Dudley murmured, a bit concerned.

"It's your Dad I'm worried about, too..." Harry mumbled, still feeling angry over his Uncle Vernon's harsh treatment of Jemma.

Seraphine let out a few melodic notes and went to perch on Jemma's shoulder. ' _Feeling better, Jem?'_ she asked.

' _I'm all right, Seraphine. What about you?_ ' Jemma asked, looking at her phoenix's broken wing worriedly.

' _Port wing still hurts, but I'm all right,_ ' Seraphine replied, weakly flapping her starboard wing while her port wing hung limply at her side.

"Don't suppose you three know any spells to fix broken wings?" Jemma asked quizzically. Hermione took out her wand, tapped it on Seraphine's broken wing, and uttered, " _Episkey_."

Seraphine let out a happy phoenix song and energetically flapped her wings, all healed. "When I get a wand, I'll keep that spell in mind," Jemma grinned.

"So you've accepted?" Hermione asked excitedly. Jemma nodded, grinning.

"That's great, Jem! What house do you reckon you'll get Sorted into?" Ron asked her.

"I definitely hope to be in Gryffindor. But Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff also sound great... as long as it isn't Slytherin..." Jemma said thoughtfully.

"You know, Jemma, Slytherin's not necessarily a bad house to be in," Harry told her.

"I guess not, but there's no denying the fact that tons of bad witches and wizards came from that house. That Nasty Dark Wizard with A Name So Stupid happened to be one of them," Jemma pointed out.

Harry laughed while Hermione and Ron looked at Jemma, flabbergasted.

"Did you just call Lord Voldemort _Nasty Dark Wizard with A Name So Stupid_?" Hermione asked, eyes wide.

"Well, his name _is_ very stupid!" Jemma giggled, causing Harry to laugh even harder.

"Your cousin's a brave one, mate. Very brave..." Ron said to Harry admiringly.

Laughing, Jemma noticed the bracelet on Harry's right wrist. "You kept it!" she smiled up at her cousin.

"Of course I did," Harry said, gently kissing her forehead and smiled when Jemma gently brushed her hand against his forehead.

Seraphine flapped her way up onto Jemma's bed and preened her feathers. "Draco told me about meeting you a few weeks ago with her. Jemma, where did you find her?" Harry asked, marveling at Seraphine.

"Actually, Fawkes gave her to me when she was just an egg," Jemma replied. Upon seeing the surprised look on Harry's face and the befuddled expressions on Hermione's and Ron's, Jemma sighed, "It's a bit of a long story..." and told them everything.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione listened intently and, after Jemma finished telling her story, looked at each other.

"A Phoenix Soul... I've never heard of that before..." Hermione remarked.

"Me neither... You don't suppose Fawkes meant something else, Jem?" Ron asked the youngest Dursley.

"I don't know, Ron, but the things I've been able to do definitely suggest that I am one," Jemma answered, shrugging.

"Maybe Professor McGonagall knows about them..." Harry wondered out loud while also thinking, ' _Could Dumbledore have known about this? Maybe I should pop by Hogwarts later and ask..._ '

"Speaking of the Professor, d'you think we should check to see if she's convinced Mum and Dad to let you go?" Dudley asked his sister.

"Dudley, you know they won't let me," Jemma reminded him.

"Well, I think that they should. It's not fair that you can't go and learn more about magic. And, if you go there, you'll be able to learn how to have a better handle on it than risk setting things on fire by accident," her brother said encouragingly.

"Who are you and what have you done with Dudley?" Harry asked jokingly, receiving a playful elbow in the ribs from Jemma.

"He's been very supportive," the youngest Dursley grinned before wriggling out of Harry's arms pulling her trunk out from underneath it. "I've kept all your spell books from First Year to Sixth Year so I'm set for those years... or are they using new books?" she asked Harry as she pulled out all of the books contained in it.

"The books from my First Year will do, but don't you want new ones, Jem?" Harry raised an eyebrow at her.

"I suppose I would and... well, the thing is... I haven't got any money you guys could use. But I do have some of my savings. Is there a place where you can change pound notes into wizard money?" Jemma asked curiously.

"There is at Gringotts. And you don't have to worry about the expenses, Jem. I'm sure Harry won't mind paying for your things," Hermione reassured her.

"Oh, no... I-I don't want to be a financial burden..." Jemma said hastily.

"Nonsense, Jem. I would be glad to pay for your things. We'll get you your wand at Ollivander's and everything," Harry told her with a smile.

"Make sure to stop by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes, by the way. George and I've got the whole store already stocked in time for the start of term," Ron told Jemma.

Excited, Jemma nodded before noticing that Harry was looking at her stuffed Snowy Owl with a sad look on his face. "I gave her that her last birthday," Dudley told him.

"I named her Hedwig after your owl," Jemma smiled but frowned when Harry sadly looked at her stuffed toy.

"What's wrong?" Jemma asked quietly.

"Hedwig, Jem. She... she died during the war..." Harry murmured.

Jemma s doe brown eyes widened and she hugged her toy to her chest. "Oh, Harry... I'm so sorry I-I didn't mean to... I-I m sorry..." the young girl said softly.

Hermione and Ron were also sad and sadly smiled, remembering Harry's Snowy Owl. "A lot has happened since I left, Jem..." Harry told his younger cousin, his bright green eyes suddenly a little bit dull. Jemma nodded solemnly, deciding not to pry any further, and went over to Harry to give him a hug.

' _You're a hugger, aren't you, Jem?_ ' Seraphine teased.

"Oh, shut up, Ser'," Jemma rolled her eyes and blushed when she realized that she had spoken out loud. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Dudley all laughed.

"You'll take care of her while she's there, won't you, Harry?" Dudley asked his cousin.

"I will, Big D. I will," Harry promised and they shook on it.

That's when Professor McGonagall entered the room, looking a great deal agitated. "The nerve of that man! I'm sorry, Ms. Dursley, but I must require your assistance in convincing your father. That blundering fat walrus oaf of a whale..." she said rather crossly, ignoring the slightly surprised looks on her former students faces for her use of such appropriate terms to describe Vernon Dursley.

Nodding, Jemma left the room with Dudley, Harry, Ron, and Hermione right behind her. Vernon and Petunia were still sitting apart from each other in the living room and, frankly, Petunia tried to make herself look as small as possible while Vernon's face had now turned into a rather dark shade of pink. Their daughter wrung her hands nervously, but steeled her nerves. She wanted to go to Hogwarts and she wasn't going to stop until she got her chance.

"I'm going to Hogwarts. It's what I want, Mum and Dad," Jemma said as strongly as she could.

"And I will deny you of that want. I've spent years trying to make sure that our family has remained as normal as it could while the boy's been here, and I will not waste my efforts by letting you go away to his school and learn how to be a freak just like him!" Vernon snapped, but Jemma glared at him with such ferocity that he slightly shrank back.

"First of all, Dad, _don't_ call Harry a freak. Second, your efforts to maintain our family's normalcy have backfired. I'm magic and I want to learn more about magic," Jemma said to her father before turning to her mother with a remorseful look. "Mum, I know you've wanted to have a normal life. I respect that and I really do want you to have a normal life with Dad and Dudley. But... maybe, for me... a normal, non-magic filled life just isn't cut out for me right now. And I really hope you'll respect my wishes. Mum, I want to go to Hogwarts. I want to be a witch. And I'm sorry that I can't be the perfect normal daughter you want but this..." she said haltingly and gestured to herself, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Professor McGonagall, and Seraphine. "This is what _I_ want and... I hope you understand that..." she concluded, watching her mother's face hopefully for a reaction.

Several seconds ticked by until Petunia Dursley looked at Harry with a pleading look.

"Take care of my little girl."

Jemma let out a breath she didn't realize she had been holding while Harry nodded solemnly.

"Petunia, what is the meaning of this?! Didn't you want her to be normal?! Didn't you hate your sister for being such a freak?!" Vernon spluttered.

Petunia, then, stood up, with tears in her eyes.

"I hated my sister because I _made_ myself hate her! I never truly hated her, Vernon! _I loved Lily!_ I was just so blinded by my jealousy that I made myself believe that I was better off without her!

"I've made the mistake of neglecting Harry, my last connection to her, all because of my jealousy and all because of _you_! I will not stand for it any longer, Vernon! If Jemma wants to go, then I will let her, whether you want to or not!" she all but screamed at her husband.

Jemma and Dudley both felt their mouths drop open in shock. Never, in their whole lives, had they seen their mother so angry with their father before.

Vernon, himself, looked like he had been slapped in the face before standing up. "Completely mad, the lot of you..." he muttered before glaring at Jemma and said coldly, "And you're no daughter of mine, _freak_."

Petunia and Hermione both gasped. Professor McGonagall's face turned wooden. Ron clenched his fists tightly to his sides. Dudley and Harry, on the other hand, stood at both sides by Jemma, whose face had turned pale, while Vernon shoved past them and left the apartment with a slam of the door.

Petunia collapsed onto the couch, looking awfully pale, and Jemma ran to her mother to tend to her. "Mum..." Jemma breathed out as her mother took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Jem, dear... my darling... forgive me..." Petunia sobbed out.

Jemma felt her own eyes well up with tears and whispered, "Of course I forgive you..." and embraced her. Dudley breathed out a huge sigh of relief and joined in on the hug.

"Harry, I hope you can forgive me for all those years..." Petunia sighed and looked to her nephew apologetically.

"I forgive you, Aunt Petunia," Harry smiled gently at his aunt, glad to have finally made peace with his mother's sister. When he gave his aunt a hug, Harry was surprised, then, happy beyond words when she hugged him back.

"Your uncle's like ' _Martin Miggs, the Mad Muggle_ ,' mate... Disowning his own daughter like that..." Ron remarked, before wincing as Hermione swatted the back of his head again when she noticed Jemma flinch at the mention of her father disowning her.

Petunia gently kissed her daughter's cheek. "I'm sure your father will come around someday, dear," she reassured Jemma and looked at the letter in Jemma's hands. "September 1st... that's only a week from now. I think it's best you get your things ready," she mused. Turning to Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Professor McGonagall, Petunia wrung her hands nervously. "Will one of you come fetch Jemma tomorrow?" she asked.

"I can take her with me tomorrow, Aunt Petunia," Harry offered.

"Thank you, Harry," Petunia thanked him and looked to Professor McGonagall. "If she causes any trouble, feel free to discipline her, Professor McGonagall," she said with a slight smile.

"Mum!" Jemma said in protest while everyone else laughed.

"We'll be leaving now," Professor McGonagall said and ushered Hermione and Ron out the door.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Jem," Harry ruffled his younger cousin's hair.

"Bye, Harry!" Jemma called after her cousin.

Once their guests had left, Jemma and Dudley rushed to the former's room to start packing. After piling clothes, shoes, books, and Jemma's stuffed Snowy Owl, Hedwig, into her trunk, Dudley handed his little sister his camera. "I don't know if it'll work in school, but I figured you'd want to watch the video I recorded earlier," he smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks, Dudley. I'll make sure to write to you, Mum, and Dad," Jemma's smile slightly faltered upon the mention of her father.

Dudley gently tapped her chin so she can look him in the eye. "Hey, don't worry about Dad. You're going to Hogwarts and you are going to be a great witch... You've got my support, Jemma, all hundred and ten percent," he smiled at her.

Jemma grinned and hugged her big brother tightly. Gone were all the days they had once tried to rile each other up and all their childhood arguments. Now they were truly brother and sister.

Before she went to bed, Jemma also made sure to prepare her foil set. Dudley looked at his sister quizzically. "You're going to get a wand, aren't you?" he asked her.

"Yeah, but I can't let my fencing skills get rusty," Jemma replied.

Dudley chuckled as his sister cleaned her swords. "Will they even allow swords at Hogwarts?" he inquired. "I hope so," Jemma shrugged.

Vernon didn't come home that night when the rest of the family went to bed. As Jemma lay down on her bed, she saw her packed trunk and foil set resting by her desk, where her brother's camera, and her acceptance letter to Hogwarts sat on her nightstand right next to the framed photograph of her and Harry.

' _Tomorrow... everything changes..._ ' Jemma thought, closing her eyes, and fell asleep... dreaming of the adventures she would have once she entered her first year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry.

* * *

 **Phew! Another rewritten chapter done. I hope this satisfies you guys for the time being.**

 **Anyway, read and review whenever and whatever you want. Thank you :)**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	5. 5: A Bittersweet Farewell

**In case you didn't notice, I deleted all of the previous chapters in order to rewrite them all. They won't change completely, but I might add or exclude a few things.**

 **This chapter acts as a filler before Jemma enters the Wizarding World, so I hope you guys enjoy!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING HERE EXCEPT, MAYBE, MY OCs!**

* * *

 **Chapter 5: A Bittersweet Farewell**

It was only one week before summer was over and Jemma awoke, wondering if she had dreamt everything that had happened last night. Once she saw the letter, still next to the framed photograph of her and Harry, Jemma knew that yesterday hadn't been a dream. She was really going to Hogwarts! She was going to get Sorted, learn Potions, Charms, Transfiguration, get to fly on a broomstick, and watch a Quidditch match for real!

And Harry was going to pick her up and let her stay at his place until it was time to go! She could hardly wait!

Smiling widely, Jemma got out of bed and nudged Seraphine, who was currently sleeping perched on her coatrack, awake. "Today's the day, Ser'..." she said softly and her phoenix friend gave her an affectionate nip on the ear.

 _'You've been waiting for this, haven't you, Jem?'_ Seraphine asked her.

 _'Ever since your father, Fawkes, gave you to me. Hey, maybe, we'll see him at Hogwarts! Won't that be great, Seraphine?'_ Jemma asked her telepathically. Seraphine cocked her head, but didn't reply.

"What's on your mind?" Jemma asked her out loud. Before Seraphine could reply, Dudley's voice came from behind the door.

"Jemma, breakfast! Mum's made waffles!"

 _'Come on, Seraphine. Let's eat!'_ Jemma thought cheerfully to the young phoenix. Seraphine left her coatrack perch and alighted on Jemma's shoulder. The two of them left the bedroom and made their way over to the dining room, where Petunia and Dudley were already seated.

"What'll Seraphine have, Jem?" Dudley inquired as he tipped three golden brown waffles onto his sister's plate.

"She usually eats herbs, but she also loves fruit," Jemma told him as she heaped butter and strawberry jam along with the maple syrup onto her waffles. Petunia looked a bit nervous at the sight of Seraphine perched on Jemma's shoulder, but fixed a plate of grapes, apple slices, some basil and placed it near the sink. Seraphine left Jemma's shoulder and flew to it, where she had her meal.

Jemma noticed that her father's chair was empty and her heart sank. "Dad hasn't come back yet?" she asked her brother and mother.

Dudley looked uncomfortable and picked at his own waffles. Petunia slightly coughed and, with great difficulty, said, "He came home late last night, my dear. But... he... he didn't want to join us. He's probably still sleeping in."

Jemma nodded, feeling like a heavy iron ball had gotten stuck inside her heart, and quietly ate her waffles. To take her mind off her father essentially disowning her, Jemma remarked to her mother, "These waffles taste great, Mum. They taste a little bit different, though. Did you change the recipe again?" to which Petunia shook her head.

Waffles had always been Jemma's favorite. She would eat them all day if she could. And she, especially, loved her Mum's waffles. They had just the right amount of sweetness to them, perfectly crisp on the outside, and fluffy inside with a slight bite. The waffles she was having today seemed to be lacking the latter of the three and Jemma pondered on this as she chewed. Now that she thought about it... her Mum's waffles only had that bite to them during the summer. Maybe she couldn't find the right ingredients to make them have that after summer was over?

Petunia, then, sighed. "I was never the one to make your waffles, Jemma. Harry always made them," she admitted. Jemma paused from chewing and looked at her mother in surprise.

"Really, Mum?" Dudley asked just as he was about to take another bite of waffles.

"He always made Jemma's waffles first before the other dishes. I was always too busy with cleaning the house while he was in the kitchen so I never saw how he made them," Petunia said softly.

Jemma eyed the one waffle she hadn't eaten yet for a good full minute before slathering it with a generous amount of jam and eating it. "Well, _your_ waffles taste just as great, Mum," she smiled at her mother, who slowly smiled back at her.

Seraphine, who had finished her breakfast before the family did, chirped and ruffled her feathers. _'I better get going, Jemma. I'll see you at Diagon Alley!'_ she bade her friend goodbye and, then, disappeared in a flash of flame! Petunia let out a small shriek while Dudley hastened to put out the embers the phoenix had left behind with his orange juice.

"Oh, sorry, Mum, I forgot to tell you that that's one way Seraphine can travel..." Jemma said apologetically.

Once she had calmed herself, Petunia looked at the charred spot where the phoenix had been earlier along with the soot-stained plate, before glancing at her daughter. "A little warning next time, perhaps, dear, when she's going to do... _that?_ " she requested, still a bit shocked.

Jemma nodded before taking another bite of waffles, making a mental note to tell Seraphine to give her a warning before she did her little trick... and to also ask Harry how he made her waffles during the summers he was living with her and her family.

* * *

Once breakfast was over, Jemma brushed her teeth, took a quick shower, and dressed. She wasn't sure what would be deemed a good outfit to where she was going so Jemma just opted for casual attire that consisted of jeans, her beat up trainers, and a red t-shirt. Jemma looked at her thick, long black hair and wondered whether to keep it down or tie it back. When she heard the apartment's front door open and Dudley greet Harry, Jemma hastily grabbed a plain white headband and put it on. She, then, took the photograph of her and Harry out of its frame and placed it in the back pocket of her jeans. If she ever felt lonely while at Hogwarts, Jemma was sure that the only family picture she ever had of Harry would provide her with comfort.

Dragging her heavy trunk behind her in one hand and holding both her foil set and a rucksack that contained Dudley's camera among a few other things in the other, Jemma left her room and found Harry waiting for her in the living room with her mother, Dudley, and Seraphine.

"Morning, Harry," Jemma beamed at her cousin.

"Morning, Jem. Ready to go?" Harry asked, smiling.

Jemma nodded and turned to her mother and her brother. "Take care of yourself, Jemma. Let's keep in touch, all right?" Dudley grinned as he gave his little sister a bear hug.

"I'll write to you every week. Write to me about your time at school, too, Dudley. I'd love to hear about it," Jemma said to her older brother. Then she winked and added, "I can even give you advice if you happen to like any girls." Making Dudley turn slightly red and Harry chuckled lightly in amusement.

Petunia stooped a little to see eye-to-eye with her. "Sweetheart... I know that I haven't always been the mother you needed, but I want you to know that... _I am proud of you_ ," she said lovingly.

Jemma smiled and hugged her mother. "You've always been the mother I needed, Mum. I love you so much," she whispered.

Petunia felt tears prick at her eyes and hugged her back. Jemma suddenly felt her mother's grip on her tigthened. When she peeked at Dudley and Harry, Jemma could see that they both wore tense expressions on their faces. Carefully pulling herself away from her mother and turning around, Jemma could see why.

Her father was standing behind the counter that served as a divider between the living room and the dining area with his grey mustache slightly unkempt, nightclothes rumpled, and a disgruntled look on his face. Jemma, timidly, approached her father and looked up at him. "Dad, I have to go now... but I'll write to you, if you want me to..." she said quietly.

Vernon simply stared her down.

Not wanting to part ways with him on a bad note, Jemma wrapped her arms the best that she could around her father's portly frame. "I love you, Daddy," she whispered. Vernon merely grunted and made no move to hug her back.

When she let go of him, Jemma looked up with a hopeful smile only to meet her father's cold blue eyes. She could only determine one thing from his stare - complete, utter rejection.

Feeling a little less cheerful than she had been before, Jemma turned away from her father and walked over to Harry. "Let's go," she said softly, tugging lightly on Harry's jacket sleeve.

Nodding, Harry took Jemma's trunk while she hoisted her rucksack onto her back and carried her foil set in one hand. "We'll see you off at King's Cross Station, Jemma!" Dudley said cheerfully in hopes to lighten his sister's mood.

"Harry, take care of her," Petunia said quietly.

"I will, Aunt Petunia," Harry promised her before glancing at his Uncle Vernon and gave him a slight nod in acknowledgement.

Vernon merely went to the dining area to fix himself a pot of coffee, not seeing the saddened smile on his daughter's face as she gave her mother and Dudley last goodbye hugs.

Nor did he see her look back at him to say, "Bye." Before she and Harry left the apartment.

* * *

 **Next chapter's coming soon! In the meantime, read and review!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	6. 6: Potter Manor and Diagon Alley (RW)

**Let me just say that it takes a while to get this chapter rewritten. Enjoy!**

 **NOTE: I OWN NOTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 6: Potter Manor and Diagon Alley**

Harry reassuringly squeezed Jemma's hand as they left the building. He could tell that being disowned by her father had really upset her. "Cheer up, Jem, I'm sure he'll come round in due time. In the meantime, let's focus on the bright side; you'll be going to Hogwarts! And you're no longer going to be a visitor there, but a student! Think of all the spells you'll be learning! Flying lessons and Quidditch! You've wanted to fly on a broomstick for a long time, haven't you?" Harry smiled at her.

Jemma cracked a smile and said, "Yeah. I've wanted to learn more about magic for so long. Now that I finally have a chance... it's pretty surreal... like a dream..." nodding.

Harry grinned at her. "Well, you don't have to pinch yourself, Jem. It's all going to come true. Follow me," he said, gently pulling Jemma along.

"Are we going to Diagon Alley, Harry?" Jemma asked as she followed her cousin to an alleyway, far from prying eyes.

"We'll need to drop off your things at my place, Jem. Then we'll head on over to Diagon Alley. Just hold onto my arm," Harry instructed as they came to a stop, holding out his free arm.

Nodding, Jemma took hold of Harry's arm. Turning on the spot, Harry Apparated with his cousin. Jemma felt the sensation of being swept off her feet, then, being spun about like she was in a little tornado, before her feet hit solid ground. "That felt a lot like when I first came to Hogwarts during your third year. It was like getting caught in a tornado," Jemma remarked to Harry.

"Really? Apparating always felt like being squeezed through a tight rubber tube for me. Are you feeling all right, Jem? Most people who Apparate for the first time usually vomit," Harry looked at her with concern.

"Not at all. I feel great, in fact! So, this is..." Jemma said before taking a look at Harry's flat and her mouth fell open.

Harry's flat, in fact, was Potter Manor... and it was incredible.

The manor was so huge that Jemma had to crane her neck upwards to see the top. The walls were colored cream and its red-tiled roof glinted in the sunlight. Large arched windows that let all the light in loomed over her and the garden was well-kept, but still looked completely natural. But, personally, Jemma thought that the personal Quidditch pitch out back was the most impressive. Looking at the three large hoops, she secretly hoped that she would be able to ride a broomstick around the place before she had to leave for Hogwarts next week.

To her right, Jemma saw a large rolling field, dotted with flowers. A massive oak tree grew in the middle of the field and there was a swing hanging from one of its branches. Jemma thought that Harry's house was one of the best houses she'd ever seen.

After about three minutes of surveying her surroundings, Jemma looked up at her cousin with an awestruck look on her face. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it?" Harry chuckled.

"How much exactly did you inherit from your family?" Jemma asked slowly.

"A lot. Aside from this place, Sirius left me his house at 12 Grimmauld Place," Harry replied as he and Jemma walked towards the shiny oak doors. Opening them, Harry ushered Jemma inside. "Well, Jem, what do you think?" he asked, gesturing to the foyer.

If the outside of Potter Manor had amazed Jemma, the inside had her utterly gobsmacked. The walls had tapestries in the colors of all four Hogwarts Houses hanging from them and several moving photographs of Harry's family and friends beamed and waved at her. A brilliant crystal chandelier hung suspended from the ceiling, glittering in the sunlight, and the polished wood floors gleamed. The staircase looked like something out of a castle and the bannisters looked so tempting to slide on. Jemma briefly wondered how the house stayed so clean when several brooms zoomed past, dustpans clanking behind them, along with feather dusters and mops, all being controlled by magic. She looked around, awestruck by the luxuries. Potter Manor was grand, indeed, but it had such a welcoming atmosphere that made Jemma feel quite at home. She could see that Harry had put his own personal touch on the place as well. The walls had been painted in neutral colors originally, but they now sported red and gold patterns and even a few paintings of lions, dogs, wolves, and stags.

 _'Moony, Padfoot, and Prongs... I wonder if Harry had one of his friends help him paint them. Didn't he mention somebody named Luna who was very good at art in some of his letters from school?'_ the youngest Dursley thought before noticing Harry looking at her, patiently waiting for her to say something. "Harry, this place is amazing," Jemma breathed out.

"Yeah, it is, but I've always preferred this place when it's filled with people. It gets lonely here sometimes so I'm always happy to have guests," Harry told her.

"Do Ron and Hermione visit?" Jemma asked curiously.

"Loads of times. We even have sleepovers here with our old classmates. That's when things get really wild," Harry chuckled before a raspy voice was heard.

"Master, Kreacher is happy to see master has arrived home safely!"

"Kreacher, how was your day-off?" Harry asked as, to Jemma s surprise, an old House Elf with tufts of white hair growing out of his bat-like ears tottered into the room, wearing a clean white tea cosy and a fancy-looking locket.

The elf bowed to Harry respectfully. "Kreacher had a good time with other House Elves at Hogwarts. Kreacher plans to return there to help with the welcome feast," Kreacher replied and noticed Jemma, who was staring at him with open-mouthed expression.

Harry noticed Jemma staring at the old House Elf and lightly tapped her shoulder, giving his younger cousin a slightly scolding look. "Jem, it's rude to stare with your mouth open," he reminded her gently. Blushing, Jemma closed her mouth and looked down at the floor.

Kreacher looked up at Harry and inquired, "Master, what might the young mistress prefer for dinner?" giving Jemma a slight smile, which resembled that of a jack o' lantern's.

"I-I'd like anything you find easy to cook..." Jemma said timidly and Kreacher nodded, whisking off to the kitchen.

"Kreacher was the Black Family's old House Elf. When Sirius died, I became his master even though he didn't want to. But, after a while, he's warmed up to me. He even helped fight during the Battle of Hogwarts and rallied all of the House Elves working at the school to fight alongside us. After the war, I let Kreacher stay with me because he wanted to continue serving a member of his old master's family," Harry explained to her.

"He looks like an older version of Dobby," Jemma giggled before noticing the light momentarily leave Harry's eyes, then, come back again as he helped her carry her trunk upstairs to the second floor's east wing. "Wait till you see your room," Harry smiled, although it seemed a little forced to Jemma, and opened a door.

Jemma gasped in awe. Her room had a large window that had a marvelous view of the Quidditch pitch outside, light airy curtains, an empty wooden wardrobe for her clothes, a smart-looking writing desk, a grand queen-sized bed with rich red velvet drapes and pillows that looked so fluffy and plump, and, best of all, a magnificent painting of the night sky and all the constellations on the ceiling.

Jemma would have stared at the ceiling for hours if she hadn't seen the shoebox on her bed. Harry smiled as his younger cousin ran over to it and eagerly opened it. "New running shoes! Harry, thank you!" Jemma squealed as she pulled out a new pair of red running shoes.

"I figured you could use a new pair. Do they fit all right?" Harry asked, smiling, as Jemma took off her old, beat up trainers and tried on the new pair.

"They fit perfectly!" Jemma grinned, hopping around a bit and walking about in a circle to try out the new shoes.

Harry noticed the foil set Jemma had flung onto her bed. He gave his younger cousin a questioning look and she laughed, "Well, if I can't use magic outside of school, I need to find some other way to keep myself entertained."

Harry chuckled at Jemma's intuition and said, "You _do_ know that there's a Quidditch pitch just outside your window, right?" to which Jemma countered with, "I don't have a broom, remember?"

"Fair point. Looks like I'll have to let you borrow mine," Harry grinned as Jemma's brown eyes lit up with joy.

"You mean it? I can use your broomstick whenever I want?" the young girl asked, bouncing on her toes.

"Well, not at night. You should be sleeping by that time. But, yeah, I'll teach you how to fly," Harry told her before grunting as Jemma suddenly hugged him.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, Harry!" Jemma squealed, quivering with excitement at the prospect of her learning how to fly on a broom at long last. Harry chuckled and wrapped an arm around his cousin's waist.

After arranging all of Jemma's clothes in the wardrobe, safely stowing away her trunk and foil set, a quick change of clothes, and consulting the list of books and supplies included in Jemma's acceptance letter, the two cousins bade Kreacher goodbye, who promised a good dinner for when they got back, and headed to London.

* * *

Arriving at the Leaky Cauldron, Harry pulled up the hood of his sweatshirt. "Still famous even after all these years?" Jemma whispered as they entered the pub.

"I get stalked by reporters from The Daily Prophet at least twice a week," Harry replied with a slight chuckle and, upon noticing a couple at the bar with Tom, smiled. Tom, the landlord, spotted Harry and waved a hand in greeting while the couple at the bar turned around and saw him and Jemma.

"Harry!" Neville Longbottom greeted his good friend in a low voice so as not to attract any attention.

"Hey, Neville. Good to see you, too, Hannah," Harry replied with a smile.

Hannah Abbot looked at Harry, then, at Jemma. "Well, hello there. Are you a friend of Harry's?" she asked Jemma.

"You can say that," Jemma smiled and Harry playfully ruffled her hair.

"Hannah, this is my cousin, Jemma. She'll be starting her First Year at Hogwarts next week," Harry introduced her to Neville's girlfriend.

Neville's eyes widened. "I remember you. _You're_ the one who pulled Malfoy's trousers down while wearing Harry's Invisibility Cloak during Third Year! The whole school was talking about it!" he said in awe.

Jemma laughed along with Harry. "Everyone remembered that?" Jemma asked.

"Remembered? It became _legendary_ at Hogwarts. I think the teachers had a hand in spreading the story around. There were even theories that you were a long-lost Weasley relative," Hannah told her, laughing as well.

"I've seen her play pranks on my other cousin, Dudley, that would make George proud," Harry remarked, grinning.

"Well, I bet she's going to be one heck of a Gryffindor, then," Neville smiled at Jemma, who shyly smiled back.

"No way, Neville, I think she should be in Hufflepuff. She's got that good heart," Hannah retorted before smiling at Jemma and added, "You're going to love Hufflepuff, Jemma. It might not be as famous as Gryffindor, but it's one of the best."

"I'm sure I will, Hannah. It was good to see you again, too, Neville," Jemma chirped.

Harry took Jemma's hand in his and said, "We better get going. A lot of shopping to do." And, with a firm handshake from Tom, left the Leaky Cauldron with Jemma.

"So are Neville and Hannah a couple now?" Jemma asked.

"They started going out after the war. They look cute together, don't they?" Harry nodded as they approached a brick wall.

"Yeah, they do. What about you, Harry? Are you dating someone?" Jemma asked with a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

Harry smirked as he pulled out his wand. "Well, there is one girl I fancy," he answered mysteriously.

"Who?" Jemma pressed him, hoping to know, so she could tease Harry about it later, but Harry shook his head, smirking, and turned his attention to the brick wall. Taking out his wand, Harry searched for the right brick.

"Three up and two across, three times..."

Muttering this, Harry tapped his wand on the brick. The brick quivered, followed by all the others, and the wall parted to reveal Diagon Alley in all its glory.

"Whoa..." Jemma breathed out as she and Harry stepped into a bustling crowd of witches and wizards. While she'd heard about Diagon Alley loads of times before from Harry's letters, Jemma could have never imagined how incredible it really was. As she and Harry walked the cobbled streets, Jemma saw shops selling cauldrons, potions, robes, and all sorts of magic-related items. She looked this way and that, wishing she had more eyes to look at everything, as she held onto Harry's hand. Then she spotted Seraphine perched on the roof of... Wait... what is that?!

"That is so wicked!" Jemma, forgetting that she didn't have any money, let go of Harry's hand and ran off!

"Jem, wait up!" Harry sprinted after Jemma, only to lose her in the crowd, and spent a good ten minutes trying to spot her white headband-sporting head before finally spotting Jemma in front of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes.

' _Seraphine!_ ' Jemma telepathically called out to her phoenix. Seraphine glided down from the top of the massive hat-tipping statue of one of the Weasley twins and perched on her right shoulder.

' _Took you long enough, Jem! I've been waiting for hours,_ ' Seraphine told her.

' _Well, I'm here now,_ ' Jemma said, smiling, before seeing Harry.

"Jem, don't just go running off like that..." Harry panted, a little out of breath.

"Sorry..." Jemma said apologetically before looking at the storefront of Weasleys Wizard Wheezes that was packed with all sorts of strange yet fun-looking stuff.

Harry smiled a little upon seeing the sparkle in his younger cousin's eyes. "Let's see what George has in stock for today," he said casually and strolled into the shop, a grinning Jemma and curious Seraphine right behind him. What first greeted Jemma was a small firework rocket whizzing over her and Seraphine's heads. Then, she got a good look at the inside of the shop.

Shelves stacked with wizarding joke items as far as the eye could see, a little automaton version of Dolores Umbridge balanced on a tightrope, screaming, "I will have order!" while balancing two pails filled with mystery goo, a mechanical figure of a girl with a large mouth that deposited Puking Pastilles into a cauldron, fancy bubbling displays for Love Potions, and cages filled with noisy Pygmy Puffs.

"Sweet mother mercy... I'm in prankster heaven..." Jemma murmured, rushing to examine the Gravity Hats, Boxing Telescopes, Dungbombs, and Extendable Ears. The shop even had regular Muggle items like card tricks and Chinese Finger Traps!

"Step up! Step up! Skiving Snackboxes half-off just in time for school! And Bruise Removal Paste will come in handy if any dueling goes awry! Harry! Good to see you mate!"

Jemma looked up from examining a Weather in a Bottle to see Harry chatting with a redheaded man wearing an orange suit and flashing tie. "Full house you've got here today, George. Any new Wheezes?" Harry inquired, making sure to keep his hood up as he spotted some customers looking around when they heard his name.

George produced from his suit's pocket a small bottle that resembled one for nail polish. "Colour Changing Polish. It's a real hit with the ladies nowadays," George told him as Jemma and Seraphine came to him and Harry. "Blimey, Harry! You didn't tell me Jemma was a witch!" he exclaimed, recognizing Jemma.

"You remember George, Jem?" Harry smiled.

Jemma smiled and nodded before giving the Weasley a confused look.

"Where's Fred?"

At Jemma's question, George visibly paled while Harry pressed his lips into a thin line. Jemma blinked her doe brown eyes in confusion. Something wasn't right.

That's when it hit her.

Hedwig was gone... Harry seemed a little bit upset when she had mentioned Dobby at his place... And, now, George looked like he was about to tear up...

 _Oh, no..._

"I-I'm so sorry..." Jemma murmured, realizing what Harry meant by ' _A lot has happened..._ ' at last and looked down at her new running shoes in shame. War was something Jemma never experienced, but she read enough tales about families being torn apart by conflict. Here she was, thrilled to begin her education in the magical arts when it was really thanks to the sacrifices of so many lives that made this opportunity possible for her...

Harry reassuringly patted her shoulder while George, not wanting to see an unhappy face, managed to find it in him to smile again. "Ah, yes, my dear Forge will forever be missed. But he's still here, Jem," he said, putting a hand to his chest right where his heart was before stooping down slightly to meet Jemma's gaze. "I'm sure he wouldn't want to see you sad. No sir! Not in our shop. How about you go grab a Wheeze on the house? We've got loads," he said, tapping Jemma under the chin so she could see that he was okay.

Smiling slightly, Jemma went with Seraphine to go look at the Wheezes, the latter of the duo getting quite a lot of stares. One boy even tried to pluck one of her tail feathers out and got his fingers pecked. "She doesn't like that," Jemma told him sharply, the boy backing away immediately, and went on to check out the rest of the shop.

"It's going to be hard explaining the war to her..." Harry sighed, pushing his glasses up his nose.

"The war's a part of our history now. She'll learn about it soon enough... unless Professor Binns still wants to drone on about goblin rebellions and have First Years fall asleep," George joked and he and Harry shared a laugh as they had a little chat while watching the customers have fun with the merchandise.

* * *

Meanwhile, Jemma was checking out the Extendable Ears with Seraphine when a semi-short girl with watery blue eyes and a pink gerbera daisy in her long cornsilk blonde hair walked over to her and saw Seraphine. "Whoa! Awesome pet there! Where'd you get her?" the girl asked curiously, her American accent catching Jemma's attention.

Jemma glanced at the girl, who was petting a now docile Seraphine, and said, "I've raised her as my own ever since she was just an egg." looking a bit shy.

"Cool, you're like a mother to her..." the girl said in awe before holding out her hand. "My name's Wendy Barnabas," she smiled.

"Jemma Dursley," Jemma shook hands with her, liking Wendy already.

"This place is amazing, isn't it? There weren't that many magic joke shops back in America," Wendy remarked as she and Jemma went to look at the Pygmy Puffs.

"There are wizarding schools there?" Jemma asked, intrigued.

"Yeah. I'm 12 years-old, by the way. I was enrolled in Ilvermorny when I was 11. Pukwudgie House, if you must know. Then, shortly after my birthday, my parents got jobs here at the Ministry of Magic and we moved," Wendy nodded, poking a finger through the bars to pet a purple Pygmy Puff.

"And you're American?" Jemma asked and Wendy giggled, "Nope. My parents are British and I have a dual citizenship on my passport. I was born in the US, though, and grew up there so I haven't gotten the accent... _yet_ ,"

Jemma smiled a bit and laughed when Seraphine engaged in a staring contest with a pink Pygmy Puff that bristled when the phoenix flapped her wings at it. "What's it like living in America? Which state did you live in?" Jemma asked as she and Wendy examined the other Wheezes together.

"Los Angeles, California. Way warmer than London and less chances of rain there. And tons of No-Maj people trying to be magic themselves," Wendy answered as she tried a handler's glove for a Fanged Frisbee.

"No-Maj?" Jemma raised an eyebrow.

"American equivalent of what you guys here call Muggles," Wendy explained.

Jemma then caught sight of Harry waving to her. "I better get going..." Jemma told Wendy, a bit reluctant to go.

The British-American smiled. "See you, Jemma," she said.

"See you, Wendy," Jemma smiled and, picking up a Fred Weasley's Basic Blaze Box, went back to Harry with Seraphine.

George grinned at Jemma's choice of Wheeze. "Ah, Fred would be proud. Try setting off one of the Whiz-Bangs in Filch's office when you get to Hogwarts," he suggested but Harry shook his head.

"George, don't encourage her to get a record on her first day, please," Jemma's cousin implored.

"I won't set them off in Filch's office," Jemma promised as George placed the Basic Blaze Box in a bag. _'I'll set them off in the Great Hall,'_ she thought with a mischievous grin. Ron's brother seemed to realize what she was thinking because he grinned an identical grin.

"And a special treat for the young lady," George dropped the bottle of Colour Changing Polish into the bag and smiled. "You and Jem will be at the Burrow for lunch, right, Harry?" the Weasley asked.

"Yeah, so Jem and I better get going. Lots to buy," Harry clapped George on the back and left the joke shop with Jemma and Seraphine. On the way out, Jemma caught sight of Wendy with a man and a woman, her parents, most likely, near the Pygmy Puff displays. Wendy caught her eye and cheerfully waved, Jemma waving back as she, Seraphine, and Harry exited the shop.

* * *

"Gringotts Wizarding Bank next," Harry said and led Jemma to a large white marble building. As they approached the burnished bronze doors, Jemma saw the words engraved on it:

 _ **Enter, stranger, but take heed**_

 _ **Of what awaits the sin of greed.**_

 _ **For those who take, but do not earn,**_

 ** _Must pay most dearly in their turn._**

 ** _So if you seek beneath our floors_**

 ** _A treasure that was never yours,_**

 ** _Thief, you have been warned, beware_**

 ** _Of finding more than treasure there._**

Jemma glanced up at Harry and noticed that he was smiling wryly. "One among the many warnings I never listened to," he muttered.

"You _stole_ something here, Harry?" Jemma whispered, eyes wide.

"They had a Horcrux hidden in one of the high security vaults, Jem. Best not to mention it to the goblins here, though. I'm still somewhat on their blacklist..." Harry murmured as they entered the bank.

Seraphine found the high ceilings to her liking and took flight, soaring over the goblins heads as they examined rubies, placing them onto scales, in search of a perch. Jemma, once again, looked this way and that at the goblins in their scarlet uniforms doing their jobs such as writing in large ledgers and counting several gold coins. Sometimes, one goblin would glance at her and she would quickly look away, but always managed to see the goblin waving a long-fingered hand at her.

Seraphine found a comfortable ledge to perch on, right above the head desk. There, a goblin looked up from his ledger when Harry and Jemma came up to him. "I'm here to make a withdrawal," Harry said politely, presenting his vault's key.

The goblin nodded and, after examining the key, gave Harry a warning look. "Remember, Mr. Potter, we'll no longer tolerate any break-ins here, even if you did vanquish You-Know-Who," he reminded him, his beady eyes surreptitiously glancing at Jemma.

"Duly noted," Harry nodded.

"Gormen!" the goblin barked and a short and squat goblin came forward.

"Yes, sir?" Gormen asked in a slightly squeaky, quavering voice.

"Escort Mr. Potter and the young miss to Vault 687. And you better get it right this time. Last time we had you take someone down to their vault, you messed up and took him to the high security vaults and nearly got his hair scorched off by the dragons," the head goblin snapped at him.

Gormen nodded nervously before looking at Harry and Jemma. "R-right this way, Mr. Potter..." he stammered, leading the two cousins to the mine carts.

"I'll see you in a bit, Seraphine," Jemma called to the phoenix perched on the ledge up above. Seraphine let out a melodic note in reply and started preening her feathers.

Gormen, as he summoned a mine cart, looked incredibly nervous. "I haven't been here long. Already messed up as you two heard earlier. But not to worry I've memorized most of the locations here, especially Mr. Potter's. I must say... quite an honor..." he said as a mine cart came to a stop on the steep tracks. "Ladies first," Gormen held out a long-fingered hand to Jemma, who took it and carefully stepped into the cart. Harry got in behind her and, with that, they were off!

"Did you see any dragons here, Harry?!" Jemma asked loudly over the noise of the cart rolling on the tracks and the roar of the wind rushing past her as the cart hurtled through the twisting passages.

"Once when I broke into the Lestrange vault with Ron and Hermione! Poor thing was all chained up and hadn't seen sunlight in years! We freed it so we could make a quick escape! It's probably somewhere in Romania by now!" Harry replied as the cart zoomed through the tunnels. They passed by a great lake and, once, Jemma swore she saw a burst of fire at the end of one tunnel and looked back to see if it was a dragon. Finally, the cart lurched to a stop in front of large vault and its three passengers got out of it. Harry handed Gormen the key and the goblin opened the vault.

Upon seeing the large pile of wizard money inside, Jemma let out a long whistle and remarked, "I'll never understand how on earth your family accumulated this much wealth..."

Harry helped Jemma pile some of the money into a leather bag. "Galleons are the gold ones. These silver ones are called Sickles while the little bronze coins here are Knuts. For one Galleon, it's 17 Sickles. One Sickle is equivalent to 29 Knuts," Harry told her as Jemma examined one of each of the three coins.

"Got it. Oh! Mum gave me a few pounds. Where do I go to change them for money here?" Jemma asked, pocketing the Galleon, the Sickle, and the Knut into her jeans pocket with her picture.

"We have a Muggle Money exchange counter back at the surface," Gormen informed her as they clambered back into the mine cart.

* * *

One wild ride later, and after exchanging her pound notes into extra Galleons, Sickles, and Knuts, Jemma stood blinking in the sunlight with Harry and Seraphine flying overhead in circles. "What do you want to get first?" Harry asked her.

"Books first, then quills, parchment, cauldron, scales, phials, uniform and we get my wand," Jemma readily replied.

"Save the best for last," Harry smiled, recalling that he'd bought his wand last as well.

"Definitely."

* * *

Jemma had insisted that most of Harry's old books would do for her so she didn't have to buy much when she and Harry went to Flourish and Blotts. The only book she had to purchase was for her Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Jemma found the required textbook on a table that other students were currently crowding around and picked up a copy.

Upon looking at the book's cover, however, Jemma's doe brown eyes.

 ** _The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection (Grade 1): An Updated Version_**

 ** _By Quentin Trimble with Supplementary Information from Dumbledore's Army_**

' _It makes sense that they helped write a book for the subject. They're one of the best of the best when it comes to Defense Against the Dark Arts...'_ Jemma thought and turned around... only to accidentally slam into a walking stack of books! "Ouch! Sorry, I didn't see you there!" a tallish boy with light brown skin and short black hair yelped as the books came tumbling down to the floor.

"Nah, it's not your fault. I wasn't paying attention..." Jemma sighed, getting on her hands and knees to help the boy with his books. She couldn't help but notice that, aside from the basic textbooks included in the supply list for First Year students, there were several books dedicated to Magizoology and Herbology included in the boy's pile.

"Yeah, they're supplementary reads. I want to be a Magizoologist slash Herbologist when I grow up," the boy explained, sheepishly smiling.

"That's quite ambitious," Jemma remarked, picking up her one textbook.

"My parents believe that planning for the future in the present is one way to meet success. They're not overbearing or demanding or anything, mind you, but they like to make sure that I'm prepared. I'm Lawrence Casby, by the way. But, please, call me Lawry," the boy said, smiling slightly as he arranged his books.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Jemma Dursley, but you can call me Jem," Jemma introduced herself.

"Well, Jem, you better get your other books before they're all sold out," Lawrence told her, pointing to her DADA book.

"Oh, I've got all my other books except for this one," Jemma said and, upon seeing that Lawrence had yet to have a copy of his own, quickly went back to the table, and jostled through the crowd of excited First Years to grab another copy for him.

"Thanks..." Lawrence said when she came back, looking slightly breathless from her little struggle with several other eager upcoming students, and handed him the book.

"No problem. We First Years should stick together," Jemma grinned.

Lawrence nodded before spotting a few eleven-year-olds and sadly smiled. "I was held back for two years because of the war. I'm already 13 so I should be in my Third Year, but my parents were really worried about what could happen to me outside of home so they forbade me from attending Hogwarts when my first acceptance letter came the same year Dumbledore died. We had to leave the country when things got really bad during the war and we've only been back here a few months," he said quietly.

"I'm sure we're all going to have to go back to square one, Lawry. I mean, _I_ didn't get my letter until yesterday," Jemma lightly laughed to cheer him up.

Lawrence felt a bit better when she said that and smiled widely. "Yesterday? Wow, the owl delivering your letter must have been a rookie," he remarked. Jemma giggled before hearing Harry call for her.

"See you at Hogwarts, Jem!" Lawrence said.

"See you at Hogwarts, Lawry!" Jemma called back to him as she went to Harry to pay for her book, and the two cousins left Flourish and Blotts with a single parcel.

"You helped write a book!" Jemma smiled as she and Harry walked down the streets to pick up the rest of her supplies.

"The Ministry wanted an updated version of the standard textbook of Quentin Trimble's book so they enlisted some members of Dumbledore's Army to help him write it. It's still operating under Ginny's leadership, but when she graduates... They'll need to elect a new leader," Harry smiled.

"I'm joining the D.A. when I get to Hogwarts!" Jemma proclaimed excitedly.

"Just don't go around challenging your classmates to duels, Jem. You have a long way to go before you're ready for the proper thing," Harry reminded her gently. Jemma nodded and the shopping trip continued.

* * *

At Scribbulus Writing Instruments, the two of them got into a debate over the usage of quills. "Can't I just use a pen? It's quicker than dipping this into an inkwell every now and then. Plus, they last longer," Jemma said to Harry, frowning at the goose feather quill Harry picked out for her.

"All students in Hogwarts write with quills, Jem. You'll have to get used to it," her cousin told her.

"I just hope the goose that gave this feather wasn't manhandled..." Jemma sighed as she relented into getting one.

Harry had to chuckle at that a bit. Jemma loved birds and couldn't bear the thought of plucking any of their feathers out. While he remembered that Jemma had a collection of bird feathers in her room, Harry knew that she had gotten them from the London Zoo s aviary when the birds naturally lost their feathers. "I still think a pen's more useful than a quill. Someone should make a suggestion to the teachers about that," Jemma declared as they left the shop, having bought parchment, ink, and, after Jemma reluctantly agreed, a few more quills.

At Slug & Jiggers Apothecary, Harry was nearly recognized by some of the customers so he and Jemma had to get out of the shop quickly before anybody else saw him. Jemma made a mental note to come back later so she could examine all the other potion ingredients. She hadn't told Harry yet but, aside from Defense Against the Dark Arts, Jemma was also looking forward to studying Potions. There was just something about the concept of magic being contained in all sorts of brews and being able to learn how to concoct them that made the subject so fascinating.

They bought a pewter cauldron _(Standard-Size 2)_ , crystal phials, brass scales, and a collapsible telescope at Wiseacre's Wizarding Equipment.

Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions was their second-to-the-last stop. "Hogwarts, dear?" Madam Malkin, dressed in mauve, smiled sweetly at young Jemma, and had her step up onto a footstool.

That's when Harry decided to leave her for a bit. "I just need to go pick something up, Jem. I'll be back in bit," he said and left the shop.

Humming quietly to herself, Jemma stood straight as a second witch assisted Madam Malkin in pinning up her robes. "Lots of First Years this term. Some of them are even as old as 14!" the second witch said as she measured Jemma's waistline.

"It is what it is, Jane. Oh, you should have seen the pair of girls I had to service while you were on break. Lively bunch, they were, but they wouldn't sit still. One of them, a Metamorphmagus, I believe, even changed her hair into several different colors while I was fitting her!" Madam Malkin exclaimed with a small laugh.

"She sounds cool..." Jemma suddenly remarked.

"Well, I'm sure you'll see her at Hogwarts, dear. I believe her name was... Ah! Tanya Amethyst! The other girl was named Opal Reynolds," Madam Malkin told her as she and Jane finished fitting Jemma's robes. After paying for her robes, protective dragon hide gloves, winter cloak, and hat, Jemma sat on a small chair to wait for Harry. She didn't have to wait long because, five minutes later, Harry came back with a most amazing surprise.

Jemma looked at the cage that contained a sleepy-looking Spotted Owl and said, "I've already got Seraphine, Harry. An owl's a bit too much..."

Harry smiled knowingly and looked at Seraphine for a minute before looking at Jemma. "Well, Seraphine's a phoenix, Jem. I'm not sure how your classmates would react to her bringing you mail every week. Besides... don't you recognize this owl?" he asked.

Jemma was confused and looked at the Spotted Owl, that had three scars on its stomach as if it had been scratched. Suddenly, the owl's voice filled her brain.

' _It's you! I remember you! We met at the zoo and you helped me! It's me! Remember? I'm Otulissa!_ '

" _Otulissa_?! No way!" Jemma exclaimed as the Spotted Owl blinked its glittering dark eyes at her and let out a soft hoot.

"I found her at Eeylops Owl Emporium. She recognized me and started quite a bit of a racket earlier. I guess she wanted me to get her for you," said Harry and watched as Seraphine swooped down to look at Otulissa.

The owl and the phoenix stared at each other for several seconds before Seraphine bowed her head to Otulissa, who let out a soft coo and tucked her head under her wing to sleep. ' _I approve of her. She says that she's good at delivering and fetching the mail and she is a bird that can be relied on,'_ Seraphine said to Jemma, who smiled and gently petted her.

"Okay... Books, quills, parchment, ink, uniform, miscellaneous equipment... Only thing left on the list..." Jemma consulted her supply list before grinning at Harry.

* * *

"A wand."

Harry smiled and they headed off to Ollivander's. Upon entering, however, Harry and Jemma were surprised to see the normally quiet shop in a state of uproar. Wand boxes littered the floor and stray balls of magic were whizzing about like out of control cannonballs, smashing the glass windows and repeatedly upturning the single spindly chair in the corner.

"Vincent, you're honestly one of the hardest wizards to pair up with a wand..." sighed a witch with long hazelnut brown hair while a wizard with thinning brown hair merely shook his head. Both had an aristocratic air about them and Harry and Jemma could see, judging by their expensive-looking robes, that they were wealthy.

"Mum, Dad, I'm trying... Really..."

Jemma, then, saw a tall, brown-haired boy about her age, dressed in his own set of expensive red robes, replace one wand with another and gave it a wave. A jet of purple light blasted out of it and nearly hit Harry and Jemma as a result! "Agh! Why won't any of these work?!" the boy exclaimed in frustration before looking at Jemma apologetically. Jemma slightly smiled in consideration and went up the steps with Harry to look at the wands.

"Now, now, Mr. Aurelius, no need to rush. Remember: _It's the wand that chooses the wizard._ How about this one? Willow, unicorn hair, ten inches, nice and whippy..."

"That's Ollivander," Harry whispered to Jemma as an old wizard with pale eyes emerged from a back room in the shop and handed the boy another box. This time, the wand worked perfectly, producing a ribbon of blue sparks before going out in white puffs of smoke, and the boy and his parents sighed in relief.

"Ah, there we are. Sometimes it takes a while for the right match to be made," Ollivander said softly.

The boy's parents paid for the wand and, then, turned to their son. "We'll just head over to Gringotts for a while, son. You all right staying here for a while?" the boy's father asked.

"Sure, Dad," the boy shrugged.

"Okay, your father and I will be back," the boy's mother gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Mum, not here..." the boy mumbled, glancing at Jemma, who was still looking at the wands so she didn't notice his blush, before taking out a pair of headphones and a Walkman from a backpack in the corner.

The boy sat on the chair and listened to his music with his back turned while Ollivander turned his attention to Harry and Jemma. "Ah, Mr. Potter. Good to see you again. Holly, phoenix tail feather, eleven inches, nice and supple. Still in good condition, I hope?" Ollivander asked.

"It's served me very well, sir. This is my cousin, Jemma," Harry smiled and introduced his cousin to the wandmaker.

Mr. Ollivander looked at Jemma, who seemed a little unnerved by the wand maker's pale eyes. "H-hello, sir," Jemma said timidly.

"Hello to you, as well, Ms. Jemma. Ah, a Potter relative... Curious... very curious..." Mr. Ollivander said with a mysterious smile.

Harry secretly prayed that those words didn't mean anything bad while the boy, Vincent, went on listening to his music. Mr. Ollivander pulled out his trusty measuring tape and asked Jemma which was her wand arm. Jemma held out her left arm and Mr. Ollivander's eyes lit up. "Ah, they say that having the left hand be the dominant one is a sign of witchcraft. No doubt that wielding a wand in that hand would make for a powerful combination. Hmmm... Perhaps a wand of vine? Twelve inches, dragon heartstring, whippy," he said, handing Jemma a wand from a box he had on him, after the tape measure had finished measuring.

Jemma took the wand and gave it a wave.

Nothing happened.

"Beechwood, unicorn hair, ten and three-quarters, very flexible."

That wand resulted in the display window in the shop getting blasted into smithereens.

"Applewood, phoenix tail feather, nine and two-quarters, pliable."

Vincent yelped as a fireball missed his head by an inch, neatly singeing the curtains instead until Harry quickly cast _Aguamenti._

Jemma tried dozens of wands, both from the pile Vincent had used earlier and from the shelves while Harry watched on, looking rather bemused along with Mr. Ollivander, who seemed very happy to have such a tricky customer. "And here I thought Mr. Aurelius would be my second most challenging customer! I can feel a great deal of magic in you, dear. And magic like that deserves a proper wand to fully harness it..." the wand maker said as he looked through the boxes.

"I think you're going to break my record, Jem," Harry chuckled, pointing to the pile of wand boxes near his cousin.

Jemma rolled her eyes and looked at all the wands thoughtfully. Which combination would suit her best? What type of wood would her wand be made of? How long or how short would it be? Flexibility and rigidity had to be taken into account as well. Perhaps, since she was a Phoenix Soul, a core made out of phoenix tail feather would be best for her...?

Sighing, Jemma sat on the steps next to the chair Vincent was sitting on. "Tough luck finding a wand, huh?" Vincent asked casually, removing his headphones.

Jemma shrugged, looking up at the boy, and blushed before fixing her headband.

Vincent smiled and gestured to the boxes on the floor. "Took me a while to find the right one. I'm sure you'll find the wand that'll suit you soon," he reassured her.

"I hope you're right..." Jemma said uncertainly.

"Name's Aurelius. Vincent Aurelius," Vincent smiled. "Dursley. Jemma Dursley," Jemma replied, holding out her hand so Vincent could shake it.

Harry, who stayed in one corner of the shop, watched the introductions being made and smiled. Something told him that he should keep a close eye on those two together...

"Your parents seemed rather concerned that you were taking so long to find a good wand," Jemma remarked, hoping to make small talk.

Vincent sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "Heh, yeah. I have a lot to live up to. I may be an only child, but my parents expect me to become a professor at Hogwarts or any prestigious wizarding school Or, the very least, take over the family business. But to be honest... I'd rather be a Quidditch player. I'm hoping to try out for Seeker of the Gryffindor team. Do you play Quidditch, too?" he asked Jemma, who shook her head.

"I haven't even touched a broomstick, Jemma admitted, making Vincent's dark blue eyes widen.

"No way! You ve got to at least try riding even a Cleansweep Seven! I've got my own broom, a Nimbus 2001, and it's great flying on it. I'm saving up my Galleons for a Firebolt like the one used by Harry Potter. Do you know him?" Vincent asked excitedly.

Harry made sure to keep his hood up and hide his smile while Jemma pretended to look nonchalant. "Everyone here knows who Harry Potter is," she said, trying so hard to conceal her grin.

"He's one of my idols. He didn't just beat Lord Voldemort. He was the youngest Seeker for his House team in a century! If I can make it to the Seeker position for the Gryffindor team, then, maybe I'll be half as good as him Then... maybe my parents would finally stop putting so much pressure on me..." Vincent said with a hopeful look on his face. Jemma carefully looked into Vincent's eyes and could see, underneath that cheerful look, a person who had quite a bit of a burden hefted upon his shoulders.

"Don't worry, Vincent. I'm sure you'll do great at tryouts. Who knows? _Maybe you'll be twice as good as Harry Potter and you can challenge him to a match to see who's the better Seeker!_ " Jemma said her last sentence loudly and covered her mouth to block out a laugh when Harry gave her a smirk along with a look that said, "Challenge accepted!"

Vincent laughed as well as Mr. Ollivander came back with an armful of wand boxes. "I rummaged around a bit. Perhaps these wands will work?" he murmured and Jemma was back to trying out wands.

After trying about a dozen different wands, each with different combinations of wood, core, length, and flexibility or rigidity, Jemma was all but ready to give up when Ollivander presented her with another.

"Alder wood with a phoenix tail feather core. Twelve and three-quarters, surprisingly swishy..."

Grasping the wand, Jemma suddenly felt a warm feeling in her fingertips. She smiled.

 _This wand was the one._

She raised it above her head and brought it down, swishing through the dusty air, and brilliant red, gold, and green flames came out of the tip. Harry beamed at her while Vincent stared open-mouthed in awe. Jemma grinned widely, waving her wand to dispel the flames, and turned to Mr. Ollivander. "This wand feels right," she said simply and the old wandmaker smiled back.

Jemma had just paid for her wand when Vincent's parents came back to get him. "I guess we'll see each other at Hogwarts?" Jemma asked Vincent as he packed up his Walkman and headphones.

"Yeah... I hope you get Sorted into Gryffindor," Vincent said, looking rather shy, before he and his family left. Vincent's parents looked at Jemma curiously for a few moments before going on their way with their son. Luckily, they didn't recognize the young adult accompanying their son's supposedly new friend.

Jemma was smiling all the while as she and Harry left Ollivander's and headed to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour, where they were going to meet up with Ron so he could take them to the Burrow.

* * *

"So..." Harry began, as he watched Jemma wolf down her hot fudge and caramel sundae hungrily, with a mischievous smirk. "That Vincent Aurelius bloke's your new boyfriend?" he asked and Jemma sharply looked at him, melted ice cream slowly dribbling down her chin.

"What?! No! Harry, I-I just met him!" Jemma said quickly, a fierce blush coming over her cheeks.

" _Sure_ you did. But the way you were chatting with him made it look like you've known him for years. When do we invite him to dinner, _Mrs. Aurelius_?" Harry said jokingly. Jemma merely threw her sundae's maraschino cherry at him, scowling when Harry expertly caught it in his hand and popped it into his mouth. Damn, Seeker reflexes...

' _Jemma and Vincent sitting in a tree... K...I...S...S...'_

"Seraphine, please, shut up..." Jemma groaned, looking at her phoenix who was shaking with laughter along with Harry.

* * *

 **Read and review whenever and whatever you want :) If you have any suggestions on how I can improve the story, feel free to tell me!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	7. 7: Lunch at the Burrow (RW)

**Hey, everyone. I'm so sorry this took so long. I've been really busy and, basically, life has been insane.**

 **Well, best not to keep you waiting. Enjoy this new REWRITTEN chapter to Jemma Dursley and the Phoenix Soul Reborn!**

 **NOTE: I OWN NOTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 7: Lunch at the Burrow (RW)**

Ron, after dropping by his brother's shop to fix the damage wrought by a prototype party cannon, made his way over to Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour. He waved to Harry and Jemma, who saw him coming, and they waved back. To Ron's puzzlement, Harry was grinning while Jemma was pouting.

"Oh, thank you! I've had it with this one's teasing!" Jemma exclaimed in relief, getting out of her chair.

"' _This one_ '? I don't get a name?" Harry asked, amused, wincing as Jemma elbowed him quite painfully in the ribs.

"You better not bring any of it up while we're at Ron's..." Jemma muttered before looking at Ron and, upon seeing the confused look on the redhead's face, added, "It's nothing, Ron. Harry was just being a git."

"Oh, nothing new there, then. He _can_ be a bit of a git sometimes," Ron chuckled. Harry rolled his eyes at his best mate and pouted a little at Jemma, who giggled and stuck her tongue out at him.

Seraphine, her plumage still ruffled from laughing, went on ahead and soared up into the sky. "She'll meet us at the Burrow, I expect. Come on, there's a Floo Network in George's office," Ron told the two cousins.

"Wait, what about...?" Jemma, then, turned around to see that the mountain of packages that had been her school things and Otulissa's cage had disappeared!

"Kreacher will take care of laundering your robes and feeding Otulissa. Come on, Jem, we don't want to be late," Harry smiled at Jemma's stunned look.

After staring at the spot where all her things and new owl had been just seconds ago, Jemma turned, and followed Harry and Ron back to the latter's brother's shop.

* * *

George smiled as he showed Jemma a small pot filled with glittery silver powder. "It's really simple, Jem. All you have to do is get a bit of this, step into that fireplace over there," he pointed to his office's fireplace. "Throw the powder into the flames and, this is very important, speak your destination _clearly_. Proper enunciation and pronunciation will get you where you want to go. We don't want you ending up in Knockturn Alley like your cousin did during his Second Year," he chuckled.

"It was my first time travelling by Floo Powder, George," Harry protested, but he was smiling.

"Make sure to tuck your elbows in and don't get out until you see the right fireplace," Ron added.

Jemma nodded, but paled at seeing the flames. "Won't I get burnt?" she asked, pointing at the roaring fire.

"You won't. Here, I'll go first," George reassured her and stepped into the fireplace. Jemma made sure not to blink as George threw the Floo Powder into the flames. The orange fire turned bright emerald green and George shouted clearly, "The Burrow!"

The youngest Dursley let out a gasp as the emerald green flames leapt up and George disappeared into them. Ron went in next and, in another flash of emerald green fire, he was gone. Harry gently pushed Jemma forward. "I'll be right behind you," Jem, he smiled reassuringly at her.

Jemma carefully took a small handful of the glittery powder and stepped towards the fireplace. "Make sure to keep your mouth shut! Don't inhale any soot!" Harry quickly warned his cousin.

Stepping into the flames, Jemma was surprised that she didn't feel anything apart from a light tickling sensation. She threw the Floo Powder into the fire and the flames turned green. " _The Burrow_!" Jemma shouted, quickly covering her mouth when she felt herself inhale a mouthful of ash.

Jemma, then, suddenly found herself spinning. But this wasn't the type of spinning she enjoyed when she Apparated to Potter Manor with Harry. This type of spinning made her feel sick, especially when she felt the ash she had inhaled earlier slightly burning her throat. And she was hurtling through a long dark tunnel at what seemed like a hundred miles per hour. Jemma forced herself to keep her mouth closed, fearing that something might go amiss on her Floo Network journey should she suddenly throw up, adding to her discomfort. It really wasn't a pleasant experience for her, traveling by Floo Powder.

Jemma forgot Ron's advice of keeping her elbows tucked in and winced as she felt one of them bump against the tunnel walls, sending a sharp stab of pain up her arm. She saw dozens of fireplaces, hundreds of exits, but didn't dare step out until she shot out of one like a rocket and landed flat on her back.

Coughing and hacking on the ash, Jemma squinted up at the face framed with flaming red hair above her. "Jemma? Wow, I haven't seen you in a long time. Remember me?" Ginny Weasley smiled as she helped Harry's younger cousin up.

Jemma nodded before coughing again as Harry emerged from the fireplace. "I hope I never have to do that again..." Jemma wheezed out, trying to clean her face.

"Yeah, Floo Powder's not my favorite way to travel either..." Harry agreed with her, helping Jemma clean her soot-stained face, and grinned upon seeing Ginny.

"Hi, Harry," Ginny smiled warmly at him.

"Hi, Gin..." Harry said, blushing.

Jemma raised an eyebrow at the two before looking around the Weasley home. She'd never been in a wizard home before and everything fascinated her. There was a pot washing itself in the sink, knitting needles knitting a wool jumper on a sofa on its own, a radio that churned out songs from some singer named Celestina Warbeck, and cookbooks with titles such as _Charm Your Own Cheese_ and _One-Minute Feasts It's Magic!_ sat on the shelves.

What really interested Jemma, however, was an old wooden clock. Instead of numbers, phrases such as _Mortal Peril_ and _Time to Feed the Chickens_ were scrawled on the clock's face and, instead of two hands, there were lots of hands on the clock, each with a picture of the Weasley family and others. She smiled upon seeing Harry's picture on the clock, but frowned in confusion upon seeing the assortment of spark plugs and cassette players stashed in a few boxes.

"My Dad's fascinated by Muggle objects so he's got loads of them lying around the house," Ginny explained before taking Harry's hand in hers. "Come on, everyone's waiting for you two," she said, leading the duo out of the house.

Jemma followed the two of them outside while thinking, ' _Are Harry and Ginny... Oh, my God! They're dating! Oh, this is going to be fun..._ ' a devious grin forming on her face.

Ron and George were helping their parents and brothers set some tables outside while Luna, Fleur and Hermione chatted under the sunshine when Ginny, Harry, and Jemma arrived outside. Bill, Charlie, and Percy were chatting with their parents and Luna's father, Xenophilius, when they saw their new guests arrive.

"Harry! Good to see you again, son," Arthur Weasley greeted Harry before noticing Jemma along with everyone else. He smiled at her, knowing that this was Harry's dear young cousin whom Ron sometimes spoke of.

"Harree, who eez this sweet mademoiselle?" Fleur asked, her eyes locking on Jemma, and smiled softly at her. Xenophilius, Bill, Charlie, Percy, and all of the Weasleys other guests turned to look at the girl wearing slightly soot-stained clothes.

Upon seeing the sheer amount of people looking at her, Jemma blushed and hid behind Harry. Chuckling, Harry introduced Jemma to them.

"So _you're_ the famous Jemma. Harry's told us loads about you," Bill greeted the youngest Dursley, who waved meekly and resumed hiding behind Harry.

Jemma, still clutching the hem of Harry's jacket, shyly peeked out from behind him and found herself face-to-face with Molly Weasley. "Hello there, dear," Molly smiled warmly at the young girl.

"Hello..." Jemma said softly, feeling a bit at ease now, and stepped out from behind Harry.

Hermione went over to Jemma to give her a hug, which Jemma gladly returned. Jemma grinned, looking at the landscape surrounding the Burrow. Rows and rows of tall reeds growing under the warm summer sun, and chickens pecking about in the neat backyard nearby made Jemma feel safe and she felt the urge to go running now.

"I like it here," the youngest Dursley said simply.

"Consider this your introduction to Wizarding life, Jem," Ron grinned seeing the way Harry's cousin looked at ease with her surroundings.

Jemma giggled and looked around, hoping to spot a phoenix perched on the Burrow's roof. But Seraphine was nowhere to be found. ' _Could she have gotten lost? Ser', where are you?'_ Jemma thought frowning.

"Something wrong, Jemma?" Charlie, who was nearest to her, asked.

"I was expecting another friend to be here, but she hasn't arrived yet. Have you seen her?" Jemma asked politely.

"Another friend, huh? What does she look like?" Percy asked next.

Jemma was about to reply when...

"Oh, look, a phoenix," Luna, dressed in an orange and beige sundress with purple polka dots said airily.

Everyone followed Luna's gaze and they saw, swiftly approaching them, the phoenix. Xenophilius's jaw dropped as he murmured, "Incredible... And it looks like it's just newly-fledged..."

"Seraphine!" Jemma called out to her feathered friend and the phoenix let out a melodic cry and flapped its way over to the young girl.

Arthur, Molly, Bill, Charlie, Percy, Ginny, and Fleur all stared at Seraphine while Ron, Hermione, and Harry all shared knowing smiles, already have anticipated their reactions.

Jemma smiled and stroked Seraphine's beautiful scarlet head. ' _Sorry if I was a bit late, Jem. I got a bit lost on my way here and accidentally went to the wrong house. You should come see it. It's shaped like a rook and I think there was a whole working printing press on the ground floor!_ ' Seraphine apologized to her human friend.

' _Well, I'm glad you're here now, Seraphine. And you're not late at all. I just got here!'_ Jemma responded before hearing the Weasleys talking.

"Ron wasn't kidding when he said she had a phoenix for a friend..." Arthur murmured before realizing that, out of everyone in the family, he hadn't talked to Jemma personally. "Arthur Weasley, Ms. Jemma. It's a pleasure to meet you at last," he said graciously.

"It's a pleasure to meet you and your family at last as well, Mr. Weasley," Jemma smiled and shook hands with him.

Harry helped her and Seraphine find a seat at one of the tables the family had set out for lunch, chatting with Ron's brothers, and helped in placing all the plates filled with food out.

Jemma found herself sitting next to Luna Lovegood, who instantly took interest in her connection with Seraphine. "She looks rather young for a phoenix. Has she had a Burning Day yet?" Luna asked, petting Seraphine.

"Not that I know of. She hatched out just a year ago," Jemma explained before a loud roar filled the air like thunder.

Half-expecting the sky to suddenly turn dark with thunderclouds, Jemma looked up and, to her astonishment, a large motorbike was rumbling its way through the heavens. ' _First, there was that flying car I saw when I was six. Now, a motorbike... What next?_ ' the young girl thought before spotting a hippogriff flying alongside the motorbike, bearing a tall wizard wearing deep purple robes.

When the motorbike and hippogriff landed near the Burrow's front yard, Jemma was glad to see a familiar face. "Looks like everyone's here," Harry grinned, seeing a certain half-giant get out of the motorbike along with the sidecar passengers.

"Hagrid!" Jemma got out of her chair and ran to greet the gamekeeper.

"Well, now! Who might you be, young miss?" Hagrid chuckled and gave Harry a hearty clap on the back that made the young man stumble forward a bit.

"Take a good look, Hagrid. Does she look familiar to you?" Harry grinned and lifted Jemma up a few inches off the ground.

The lines around Hagrid's beetle black eyes crinkled before the eyes themselves widened in recognition. "Blimey! If it isn't little Jemma Dursley! Can't say I haven't seen ye in a long while," Hagrid chuckled, gently patting Jemma on the head.

Jemma giggled before looking at the motorbike's sidecar passengers. One was a tall, beautiful woman with kind eyes and light brown hair. The other, to Jemma's surprise, was a little baby boy with turquoise hair currently squirming about in the blankets the woman carried in her arms.

"Jemma, this is Andromeda Tonks and Teddy Lupin," Harry introduced his younger cousin to them before taking the latter of the two from the former.

Andromeda smiled at Jemma, who shyly smiled back. "I've heard many tales about you from Harry. And you're just how he described. Pleased to meet you, Jemma," Andromeda smiled.

"Pleased to meet you, Ms. Tonks. Um, you don't happen to be related to someone named Nymphadora, are you?" Jemma asked curiously, remembering Tonks all of a sudden.

Andromeda'smile faltered at the question but she readily replied, "She was my daughter." Not failing to notice the flash of pain in Harry's eyes as he cradled Teddy in his arms.

Jemma, also, didn't fail to notice this and she paled slightly upon realizing, once again, that another one of Harry's friends had been killed in the war. ' _Not Tonks, too! I liked Tonks! She was so nice and really brilliant with her Metamorphmagus skills..._ ' Jemma thought sadly before turning her attention to the baby in Harry's arms. "He's cute..." Jemma smiled softly as she gazed at the baby.

"He's Tonks' son. Remus Lupin, my Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher when I was in Third Year, is his father. He named me Teddy's godfather while Hermione, Ron, and I were on the run..." Harry said quietly and smiled a little when Teddy suddenly changed his turquoise hair to black and his eyes to green. Jemma noticed the pain in Harry's eyes and mentally added another person to the list of friends and family members her cousin had lost in the war that she'd been keeping track of. She felt a pain in her heart for her Harry. Losing so many friends and family... It wasn't fair to him or anyone at all! "Do you want to hold him?" Harry suggested, snapping Jemma out of her sad thoughts.

Blinking, Jemma nodded slightly and held out her arms. Harry carefully placed Teddy in her arms, both him and his cousin hoping that Teddy wouldn't mind. Luckily, Teddy didn't fuss. Rather, he took quite a liking to Jemma and cooed happily in her arms, making his green eyes turn brown to match Jemma's. "Hello, Teddy. I'm Jemma. You know, your godfather, Harry? He's my cousin so I guess that means I'm sort of like an Auntie. But you can call me Big Sister Jem if you want," Jemma smiled. Teddy smiled and proceeded to grab Jemma's finger and suck on it. "Hey! No, Teddy, let go," Jemma laughed and tried to pull her finger out of Teddy's mouth, but the baby held fast.

Harry smiled and assisted his younger cousin. "Come on, Ted, your Big Sister Jem still needs to eat," he said and tickled Teddy's tummy. The baby boy laughed, giving Jemma an opportunity to pull her finger out of his mouth.

Jemma smiled before looking at the hippogriff that had decided to come closer to her. Remembering what Harry and Hagrid had taught her when she was eight, Jemma bowed to the hippogriff and waited for it to bow back. The hippogriff did so at once and Jemma excitedly reached out to pet it.

' _Well, well, you've grown, Ms. Jemma..._ '

Jemma's eyes widened, recognizing the hippogriff. "Buckbeak?" she said, doe brown eyes wide with awe. Buckbeak tipped his head down to nuzzle the young girl. "Thank heavens... I thought they'd gotten rid of you..." Jemma sighed with relief before looking up at the tall dark-skinned wizard wearing deep purple robes and strings of amber beads.

The wizard smiled warmly at her. "I've heard from Harry that you are fond of birds," he said, his voice a deep soothing baritone. Jemma nodded shyly. The wizard shook hands with Harry, and introduced himself to Jemma as Kingsley Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic before going to find a chair.

Lunch began once everyone was seated, with Buckbeak and Seraphine having their own meal in the garden. Jemma inhaled the wonderful smells, her mouth watering, and tucked in. She knew that meals prepared by wizards were no different from meals in the Muggle world, but the food - sweet, buttered corn, mashed potatoes, pork chops, salad, and pumpkin juice - was scrumptious. And when she tried Mrs. Weasley s treacle tart, Jemma's eyes comically widened to twice their size and she devoured her slice in mere minutes before asking for seconds!

As Jemma had her second _(she hoped Harry would let her have a third)_ helping of treacle tart, she marveled at how the entire Weasley family interacted with everyone, especially Harry. She didn't need to be told that he was considered family by them. The way Arthur and Molly smiled at him could be compared to how parents would smile at their child and Bill, Charlie, Percy, George, and Ron were all laughing and joking with Harry like brothers. Jemma sat in her chair and observed the Weasleys and the other guests, her brown eyes shining brightly, before feeling Seraphine's feathers lightly tickle her cheek.

' _Are you all right, Jem?_ ' Seraphine asked, tilting her head to the side. Jemma smiled and petted the phoenix.

' _Everyone here has been friends with Harry for so long... I feel a bit out of place..._ ' she admitted telepathically.

Seraphine gave her an affectionate ear nip. ' _Cheer up, Jem! Now that you're about to go to Hogwarts, you'll get to know them all better,_ ' she reassured her.

Jemma smiled, petting the phoenix, before noticing Harry and Ginny leave the little group. Curious, Jemma and Seraphine followed them to the kitchen. To Jemma's shock _(and delight_ ), she found Harry and Ginny leaning against a wall... _snogging._

Harry had one arm around Ginny's waist and was threading his fingers through her fiery red hair. Ginny, on the other hand, had her arms around Harry's neck. They were snogging each other's lights out... and Jemma just so happened to have her own camera with her.

 _ **SNAP!**_

The sound of a camera shutter going off made Harry and Ginny quickly whirl about. Seraphine was shaking and chirps that sounded like laughter were coming out of her golden beak, while Jemma was grinning like a cat as she got the picture.

"Jemma Marie Dursley..." Harry said in a warning tone as his cousin waved the picture of him and Ginny kissing in the air. Ginny didn't say anything, but a light pink blush appeared in her cheeks.

"Oh, this is going to be good blackmail..." Jemma smirked as Harry took a step closer and she jumped back.

"Jem, give me the picture," Harry requested firmly.

"Nope! Blackmail!" Jemma giggled before turning around and, with Seraphine right behind her, ran out of the kitchen!

"Jem!" Harry yelled and bolted after her, Ginny laughing right behind him.

"HARRY AND GINNY, SITTING IN A TREE! K-I-S-S-I-N-G!" Jemma sang out as she ran out into the yard, waving the picture like a flag.

Everybody paused from eating as the young girl merrily skipped about. Then Harry came running after her! With a shriek of laughter, Jemma thrust the photograph into Hermione's hands before taking off like a shot.

"Jem, get back here!" Harry roared as he chased his little cousin.

"Nope!" Jemma laughed and sped up.

That's when she felt it.

A warm sensation welled up inside her chest... She felt the flames licking at her skin, but not burning her... Her arms splayed out to the sides... Feathers growing on her body... Her whole being shifting... Changing...

When she looked down, Jemma realized that she had now left the ground and was currently soaring up into the sky. And on the ground, Harry was watching her with an openmouthed expression as were all the others.

Seraphine flew alongside Jemma, who was now a phoenix like her. ' _I've transformed again...'_ Jemma told her uneasily.

' _And you did it splendidly, Jem! Care for a friendly race through the clouds?'_ Seraphine challenged her.

But Jemma wasn't feeling up to it. On the contrary, she was afraid. The last time she had transformed, she had gotten into a heap of trouble.

How much trouble was she going to be in this time?

A flashback of her father wielding a heavy leather belt raced through her mind and Jemma instantly panicked. In midair, she transformed back to her real form in a flash of flame and began to fall! She was vaguely aware of Harry shouting her name and everyone else screaming as she fell before she felt Seraphine's talons firmly squeezing her shoulder.

Gently, Seraphine lowered Jemma to the ground. "Oh, God..." Jemma mumbled shakily as Harry sprinted over to her.

"Are you all right?" Harry worriedly held her face in his hands.

Jemma nodded meekly, too scared to say another word. Seraphine worriedly nudged her friend, seeing how tense Jemma had become. Harry noticed this and instantly remembered how banged up Jemma had been last night. His Uncle Vernon had brutally punished her for transforming into a phoenix. He knew Jemma was scared of being punished again and he gently ran his fingers through her dark hair to calm her down.

"Am I in trouble, Harry?" Jemma asked fearfully. She had only wanted to poke fun at Harry for a bit. She hadn't wanted to suddenly transform again...

Harry's face softened and he pulled Jemma into a hug. "No, Jemma. You're not in trouble. I was just worried..." he murmured soothingly.

Relaxing, Jemma nodded and had Harry lead her back to the Burrow's garden. Once they got there, everyone surrounded Jemma, looking relieved and awestruck.

"Harry, how did she do that?!" Percy asked in astonishment.

"I've spent years with dragons and thought they were the most incredible of creatures... But, Harry, what your cousin just did was absolutely mind-boggling!" Charlie exclaimed.

"Is she an Animangus?" George asked, eyes wide.

"I've never seen an Animangus who could transform herself into a phoenix before..." Bill murmured in amazement.

"Then Jemma must be zee first of her kind! Incroyable!" Fleur marveled.

"Ron told me about her... I didn't think I'd actually get to see it firsthand, but..." Ginny breathed out before looking at Jemma in awe.

Luna was kind enough to give Jemma room to breathe and smiled. "I had this funny feeling when I first saw you... thought it must have been Nargles fooling around... Guess I was wrong," she remarked, a serene smile on her face.

Xenophilius also smiled serenely. "Whatever gift she has, Mr. Potter, it's certainly a marvel," he said.

Arthur, Molly, Andromeda, and Hagrid exchanged looks, wondering just how on earth Jemma managed to perform such a feat. Teddy had fallen asleep earlier, but woke up to see everyone getting all excited around his Big Sister Jem and gurgled confusedly. Jemma looked to Harry hopefully, feeling a bit nervous, and was reassured by a gentle squeeze of her hand.

Kingsley approached Harry and gave him a questioning look. "This is the second time she's transformed I presume?" he asked.

"Yes, sir. Have you found anything about them, Minister?" Harry asked.

"I'm afraid not. Nothing in the Ministry's records have anything about Phoenix Souls," Kingsley shook his head.

Harry was about to say something when Ron hollered, "Oi! Were you two snogging earlier?!"

Ron had taken the picture from a giggling Hermione and pointed to Harry and Ginny, the two of them blushing scarlet. Jemma couldn't stop herself and laughed out loud along with everyone else as Harry tried to get the picture from Ron, who quickly cast _Incendio_ on it. "Oh, Ron! I wanted to save that!" Jemma giggled upon seeing Harry's relieved face. Ron gave Harry a warning look and he shrank back.

In return, Harry glanced at Jemma and smirked. ' _One way or another, Jem, I'll get even with you,_ ' he seemed to be saying, and Jemma smirked back as if to say, ' _I'd like to see you try!'_

After recovering from the sudden surprise of Jemma's transformation, everyone relaxed and got acquainted with Jemma a bit more. Arthur often asked her questions about what sort of things young people from the Muggle world liked to do. He'd been fascinated when Jemma explained video games to him and had the idea of purchasing a PlayStation before Molly reminded him that they didn't even have a place to plug in a 'telly vision.'

Luna quickly became friends with Seraphine, she and her father delighting how the phoenix would sing and chirp to them while Jemma translated.

Charlie and Bill regaled Harry's cousin with stories of their time in Egypt and Romania while Percy explained how most of the departments in the Ministry of Magic worked. Needless to say, Jemma was enraptured by their tales.

Hermione, Ginny, and Molly had Jemma giggling as they discussed how to handle men and their rather brash ways. Jemma had a really good time telling Ginny about the silly things Harry would do to make her laugh when she was little.

The rest of the afternoon passed without any further incident. However, later, Kingsley took Harry and Jemma aside for a talk.

"We're not entirely sure, but the Death Eaters could try to make a comeback. If they truly are..." Kingsley looked at Jemma with concern. "They will try to dispose of anyone they'll deem a threat. I want you two to be careful and alert. Should anything happen, contact me immediately," he told the two cousins seriously. Harry and Jemma nodded, before going back to join the Weasleys and everyone else. But, for the rest of their visit, Harry and Jemma shared secret glances, knowing that the Minister's words were serious.

* * *

"Harry..."

That night, when they'd gone back to Potter Manor, while eating dinner, Jemma looked at Harry worriedly. "You don't think the Death Eaters will come back, do you?" she asked quietly as she ate her steak and kidney pie.

Harry, sitting next to her, gently rubbed his hand up and down on his cousin's back in slow soothing strokes. "I'm not going to lie to you, Jem. There are still some of them running rampant in the country. And, if they're still following the old ways, they might just try," he told her. Upon seeing Jemma's concerned face, Harry smiled gently at her. "But if you re worried that they'll go after you because of what you can do, don't. They'll have to go through me first," he reassured her.

* * *

After finishing their dinner and getting ready for bed, the two cousins planned how to spend the rest of the week before Jemma started Hogwarts.

But it wasn't until Harry had tucked her in and wished her goodnight did Jemma allow herself to worry.

If Death Eaters were still out there, it was a no brainer as to who they would try to get rid of first.

 _Harry_.

* * *

 **Again, I am so sorry this took so long. If anyone has suggestions for the next chapters, I'd love to hear them. I'll be busy again but, I promise, I will not abandon this then, thank you for being so patient. Read and review whenever and whatever you want :)**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	8. 8: Learning to Fly (RW)

**Another update. My apologies if this has been posted late. I have a lot of things to do outside of fan fiction. Also, this was one of the problem chapters and I wanted to fix it. Read and review whenever and whatever you want :)**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. ALL RIGHTS GO TO THE AMAZING J.K. ROWLING AND ALL RESPECTIVE OWNERS!**

* * *

 **Chapter 8: Learning to Fly**

Although Kingsley's warning had made her worry, Jemma couldn't stay anxious forever, not when there was so much to see and learn.

But first, she had to find her way around Potter Manor, which wasn't easy.

Harry's house had only four floors, but it was enormous. There were several bedrooms for guests, at least four large bathrooms, three smaller ones, and a drawing room per floor. The library, no doubt Hermione's personal addition, was big enough to house a hotel suite and was filled from floor to ceiling with books. Jemma took some time wandering the shelves, running her fingers across the spines of countless tomes, before enlisting Seraphine's help in navigating around Harry's ridiculously huge abode.

After an hour, Jemma finally found herself in the kitchen. There, Harry was just about done drizzling maple syrup over a plate of waffles. "I got lost. Your house is enormous..." Jemma sighed tiredly.

"I know what you mean. I got lost myself during my first few weeks here," Harry chuckled as they set the table together. After doing that and saying grace, the two cousins dug in along with Kreacher and Seraphine. The faithful House Elf bolted down his breakfast and politely excused himself so he could start on weeding the garden, with Harry promising to help him after breakfast.

Jemma savored the taste of Harry's waffles, sweet and dripping with maple syrup and creamy whipped butter. "What's your secret? Mum told me that you always made my waffles," she batted her eyelashes at Harry, hoping to know what Harry's specials were made of.

"Love," Harry teased her.

Jemma rolled her eyes before spying a jar of sugar pearls near the stove. _'Sugar pearls! No wonder they have that sweet crunch...'_ she thought, smiling to herself, and finished her breakfast. She helped Harry and Kreacher weed the garden and, after taking a bath, decided to go through all of her books while Harry worked. He had been fortunate enough to have been given the rest of the week off. Kingsley had informed Robards that he would need it so he could spend as much time with Jemma as possible before she left for school. And the Savior of the Wizarding World was more than grateful. He planned on teaching Jemma about his world as well as he could, especially flying. Oh, he could hardly wait till lunchtime...

It didn't take long for Harry to finish with his paperwork. He and Jemma Apparated _(Jemma really didn't want to travel by Floo Powder again)_ to the Burrow.

There, Ron surprised Jemma by presenting her with a Firebolt that Harry had hidden in his family's broom shed. "If you're going to try out for your House's Quidditch team, you're going to need practice," the ginger grinned at Jemma's awestruck look.

Jemma took to Harry's Firebolt like a duck to water and was whizzing around the Burrow in no time. "This is absolutely amazing!" the youngest Dursley shrieked with glee as she flew up higher and higher with Seraphine soaring alongside her. Soon, the other Weasley siblings joined in on the fun, resulting in a mock Quidditch match. Harry still had the Golden Snitch he got from Dumbledore's will and used it to help Jemma practice being a Seeker, marveling at how his cousin gamely flew after it but never quite catching it. They also threw apples at each other to catch while keeping an eye out for the Snitch. Jemma, sharp-eyed, managed to spot it hovering near Ginny and made a beeline for it only for Harry to swoop out of nowhere and catch it! Knowing that she would need a lot of practice to be on par with both him and Ginny, Jemma made sure to watch carefully as they flew on their brooms.

"She's going to be a Seeker for sure," Ginny remarked as she and her boyfriend watched Jemma grab the Snitch after performing a spectacular dive. Harry smiled before calling Jemma over so they could have lunch.

"You think I have what it takes to be a Seeker?" Jemma asked him as Mrs. Weasley served up another delicious meal.

"Judging by how well you did with that dive, Jem, I say your chances are pretty good," Harry ruffled her hair.

* * *

The next three days, Jemma was a sponge.

While she couldn't use her wand, Jemma read up on the basic spells she would need for First Year. Hermione proved to be an excellent tutor, although she found Jemma's attempts to avoid Arithmancy like the plague a bit exasperating. "Hermione, Harry told me that Arithmancy's only an elective for Third Year. I don't see why I have to learn it now..." Jemma whined, frowning at the book Hermione was making her read.

Hermione rolled her eyes at Jemma and replied, "It will be a tremendous help should you decide to pursue numerology, Jemma. And it's always better to start early."

"But I don't even _like_ numbers. And I'm terrible at math!" Jemma exclaimed, but did as she was told and tried to understand some of the concepts.

To Harry and Ron's surprise, Jemma showed promise in Potions. She told them that it was a more fun version of Chemistry, and reading up on the magical properties of the ingredients was fascinating.

"Slughorn will recruit her into the Slug Club for sure..." Ron whispered to Harry as they noticed Jemma immersed in her Potions book.

Aside from reading her books and listening to the advice of several of Harry's friends, Jemma also found time to enjoy her usual pastimes such as running around Potter Manor's enormous and spacious garden as well as fencing. While she didn't have another foil set, Harry set up a practice dummy for Jemma to fight while he did paperwork for the Ministry's Auror Department.

But, of all the learning experiences Jemma had, it was learning how to hone her Phoenix Soul abilities that was the most challenging.

Since, as Kingsley had told them earlier on, there was no record whatsoever about Phoenix Souls, Jemma and Harry had to discover the secret to Jemma's powers on their own. With Hermione and Ron, they explored every possible way to hone Harry's cousin's abilities. Lighting and extinguishing candles, they could handle because Jemma had already mastered them. But it was her phoenix transformations that had them all stumped.

"We know she has the phoenix's healing tears and can use them. She can set things on fire whenever she feels like it. But, how d'you reckon her phoenix form works?" Ron asked.

The four of them were sitting around the Weasleys' dining table, Celestina Warbeck crooning from the phonograph in the living room. Harry glanced at Jemma, who thought hard.

"The first time we saw her transform was after she won the race. I guess her excitement triggered it..." Hermione suggested.

"Yeah, I _did_ feel like I could fly when that happened," Jemma nodded in agreement before suddenly standing up. "If I can do it while running, maybe I can do it when I'm standing in place," she said and closed her eyes. She envisioned herself as a phoenix with magnificent scarlet plumage... golden talons... long and beautiful tail feathers...

"Bloody Hell..."

"She did it!"

Hearing Ron and Hermione's awestruck remarks, Jemma opened her eyes. Was it just her or did Harry suddenly seem a lot taller?

"Jemma, you did it," the young man smiled at her. Jemma took a look at herself and noticed. Huzzah, she'd transformed!

Letting out a happy melody, Jemma spread her wings and flew out the nearest window. Seraphine, who'd been perched in a nearby tree, saw her and joined Jemma in a friendly race. _'This is amazing! It's even better than a broom!_ ' Jemma exclaimed in delight, looking down at the patchwork of colors of the earth down below them.

Seraphine soared alongside Jemma, the tips of their wings brushing against one another. _'Flying is the greatest privilege most birds have, Jemma. It gives freedom to all who possess it. Do you feel it?'_ she asked, luminous brown eyes sparkling.

Jemma soared up, up, up, before doing a power dive. A burst of phoenix song let loose from her beak as she joyfully proclaimed, _'I am flying, I am happy, I am FREE!'_

Down below, Harry watched his younger cousin fly, feeling his heart swell with pride and happiness at her song. Without a doubt... Jemma was going to be a force to be reckoned with when she started Hogwarts.

 _'I just hope she doesn't get into any dangerous situations like I did...'_ the Boy Who Lived thought, a twinge of worry tugging at his mind.

* * *

The second to the last day of Jemma's summer started out great, with her flying with Harry on his Firebolt, but it took a rather terrifying turn towards the afternoon.

She had challenged Harry to a footrace and their racetrack was the path winding through the fields around the Burrow. Jemma easily outran Harry, then, decided to be adventurous and ventured farther out into the fields, straying from the path entirely. "Jemma, you're not supposed to leave the path!" Harry shouted, following her.

"Relax, Harry, it's fine!" Jemma shouted back as she took one step...

...and fell into a really _deep_ water hole!

" _Jem!_ " Harry yelled as he heard his younger cousin scream and, hearing the sounds of frantic splashing, crashed through the reeds. He made it to the water hole in time to see Jemma's head sink into the muddy water.

Quickly, Harry jumped in, shoes still on. Through the murkiness of the water, Harry spotted Jemma flailing her arms and legs about, mouth open as she silently screamed for help, as she sank deeper into the water. The poor girl was in a panic as mucky water filled her mouth and tried to paddle.

Suddenly, Jemma felt a pair of strong arms encircle her waist and she was taken up to the surface. Harry didn't mind the water dripping off his glasses as he hauled Jemma out of the water hole. The young girl was shaking violently in his arms, coughing out muddy water every few seconds, and whimpering. "I'll take you back to my place... I think you've had enough for today..." Harry murmured, carrying Jemma back to the Burrow.

Everyone had been rather worried when the two cousins came back, soaking wet, but Harry was quick to act. He helped Jemma dry off and, after giving her a small dose of Pepper-Up Potion, took her back to Potter Manor. There, Harry gave Jemma a lengthy lecture and, by the time he was finished, Jemma's cheeks and ears were bright red with shame.

"When someone tells you not to go somewhere, you listen to them. What if something like that happens while you're at Hogwarts? Jem, even if Ginny will be there, you should know better than to ignore warnings people give you," Harry said sternly.

"Well, what about you? If I remember correctly, _you_ broke _several_ rules during your time at Hogwarts," Jemma countered, frowning.

"Don't make me an example, Jem! You scared me half to death! What do you think I would do if I couldn't save you?! How would I face your family when I swore to protect you?!" Harry, feeling rather cross now, exclaimed.

Jemma huffed defiantly and left for her room. "Jem, I'm not done! Get back here!" Harry glared at his younger cousin's back.

The only reply he got was a slammed door and, then, silence.

* * *

Jemma spent the rest of the afternoon in her room sulking, not even coming out for dinner when Harry knocked on her door. She fell asleep, her stomach rumbling, for a few hours before Seraphine woke her up with a hard peck on the forehead. "Ouch! Seraphine, what was that for?!" Jemma groaned as she rubbed the sleep out of her eyes.

Seraphine had a pointed look on her face. _'I think you've sulked long enough, Jemma. And you should really go see Harry... He's crying...'_ Her voice echoed in Jemma's brain.

Worry gripped Jemma's heart and she quickly got out of bed, taking the one route she memorized to get to Harry's room. Pressing her ear to the door, Jemma heard Harry softly sobbing. Carefully, she opened the door and found Harry sitting on the edge of his bed, his head bowed. "Harry?" Jemma called out quietly. Harry raised his head to look at her. _'Maybe I was a bit too smug... I made him worry...'_ Jemma thought guiltily as she saw the tears in her cousin's emerald green eyes.

"Jemma..." Harry croaked, wiping the corners of his eyes with his sleeve.

"Are you okay?" Jemma asked softly, sitting next to him.

"No, I was... I was having nightmares again..." Harry admitted.

"What were they about?" Jemma asked, knowing that the best way to get over a nightmare was to talk about it.

Harry took a deep breath and told her of his nightmare. He had essentially relived the entire war and had watched everyone die again. Pretty soon, he finally told Jemma the whole story of the war, the people and friends who had died.

Hedwig... Moody... Dobby... Fred... Remus... Tonks... Snape...

All those lives, cut so short...

All because of him...

"It still hurts. They all died for me when they should have lived to see the new peace we would have once it was over..." Harry murmured sadly before looking at Jemma. "You know I don't want to lose you, too, right? That's why I was so worried..." he said quietly.

Jemma, reeling from knowing that so many people had died in the Second Wizarding War, nodded in understanding and wrapped her arms around Harry in a hug. "I'm sorry I got mad at you... I really should have listened to you... Harry, I'm sorry..." she murmured.

Harry smiled and gently kissed the top of Jemma's head. "All's forgiven, Jem. Just promise me you'll be more careful," he reminded her gently.

"Promise," Jemma nodded before shyly smiling. "Harry tonight and, since tomorrow's the day before I go to Hogwarts, can... can I sleep here with you?" she asked timidly.

Smiling, Harry nodded and gave Jemma some space on his bed. Tucking his younger cousin in, Harry took out his wand and whispered, " _Expecto patronum_." Making a magnificent silver stag appear in the room. Jemma giggled as the stag bounded around the room. "When you're in Third Year, I promise I'll teach you the Patronus Charm," Harry smiled as he settled into bed with her.

"Looking forward to it," Jemma smiled back.

"Goodnight, Jemma."

"Goodnight, Harry."

* * *

The next day, the last day of summer, was one to remember. Jemma, at this time, had managed to successfully transform at will a number of times and was having a blast flying with Seraphine while Harry flew alongside them on his Firebolt. They spent most of the day packing Jemma's trunk and readying everything she needed. Harry had already gotten Jemma her ticket to Platform 9 3/4 and, tomorrow, he was going with the whole Weasley family and Hermione to see both Ginny and Jemma off at King's Cross. Last visit to the Burrow that night, Jemma was treated to a dinner that had all of her and Ginny's favourites. To end the night, Geroge set off an entire box of Weasleys' Wildfire Whiz-Bangs outside.

Once they were back at Potter Manor, Harry and Jemma did a quick check to make sure the latter of the two had everything she needed before heading to bed.

Problem was that Jemma was so excited she could hardly keep her eyes shut.

"I'm excited, anxious, and happy all at the same time... I don't know if I'm going to get much sleep..." she whispered to Harry, who had his eyes closed. Chuckling softly, Harry opened his eyes and smiled. Then Jemma s face turned serious. "Harry, what if... what if I _don't_ get Sorted into Gryffindor? Worse... _What if I get Sorted into Slytherin?_ " she whispered worriedly.

 _'Of course... the Sorting... Anyone would be nervous about it...'_ Harry thought. As for Jemma's fear of being Sorted into Slytherin, Harry could relate as he had feared that particular House during his First Year. But he knew better now that Slytherins weren't all evil, and he hugged Jemma close to him. "Jemma, no matter what House you'll be Sorted into, I'll always be proud of you. And I just know that, whatever House you'll be in, you're going to be a great witch. If you get Sorted into Slytherin, or any of the other three Houses, always remember that I won't just be proud of you... I will always, _always_ , love you," he whispered soothingly.

Jemma smiled, doe brown eyes soft, and whispered, "Really?"

"Really," Harry promised and began to sing...

 _"Close your eyes, dear little one,_

 _Sleep, sleep, till rise of sun,_

 _Don't be afraid for I'm here,_

 _Bad dreams and pains won't get near._

 _I'll stay awake though the night,_

 _Then we'll play come morning light,_

 _As you dream, know this be true,_

 _I'll always, always, love you."_

By the time Harry finished singing, Jemma was fast asleep, cuddled close to him. Gently brushing Jemma's hair behind her, Harry softly kissed her forehead. "And that's a promise, Jemma... my Phoenix Soul..." he murmured before falling asleep as well.

* * *

 **Phew! Finished! I apologize if, once again, it took so long. I've been busy with college, you know how it it.**

 **Anyways, read and review whenever and whatever you want ;)**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	9. 9: A Phoenix on the Hogwarts Express RW

**This makes me so giddy writing this. At last, Jemma's journey to Hogwarts... REWRITTEN!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 9: A Phoenix on the Hogwarts Express**

 _...Torn up wings..._

 _...Vicious venomous lances gleaming in its horrible black maw..._

 _...Scales muddy like moss..._

 _...Blood red eyes..._

 _...a guttural scream as fangs dug into flesh..._

 _...Her own voice... screaming..._

 _"NOOOOO!"_

* * *

Jemma woke up with a gasp, face and neck glistening with cold sweat, and shivered in the sheets. She felt a pair of gentle arms around her and she looked up. A sigh of relief escaped from her lips once she saw Harry gazing down at her worriedly. "Nightmare?" he murmured, his fingers gently stroking her hair.

"Yeah..." Jemma mumbled, cuddling closer to Harry.

"Was it about your Dad?"

The Phoenix Soul felt a lump in her throat as she frantically tried to come up with a lie. The last thing she wanted for Harry was to worry about any potential threats against him and her. But, she didn't want to be dishonest, either. "No I dreamt that someone... some _thing_... was out to get you..." she whispered before looking up at Harry, worry swirling in her doe brown orbs. "Harry, promise me that you'll be careful while I'm gone..." she mumbled, making her cousin chuckle a bit.

Harry gave her a little cuddle. "You don't have to worry about me, Jem," he told her gently. Then he got out of bed and said, "I'll get started with breakfast. Make sure you didn't forget to pack anything." And left the bedroom.

All thoughts of her nightmare vanished once Jemma realized what today was. With an excited squeal, she bolted out of bed and ran to her room. Seraphine, still asleep, perched on her room's window ledge startled awake when Jemma burst into the room, shouting, "I'm going to Hogwarts!" at the top of her lungs.

The phoenix had a disgruntled look on her feathered face. _'No need to go shouting about for the whole world to hear, Jemma...'_ her voice sighed in Jemma's mind.

The young girl merely laughed. "I can't help it, Ser'. I'm so excited!" she exclaimed.

Seraphine spread her wings and tapped the window with her beak. _'I'll go ahead,'_ she told Jemma, who cocked her head to the side. _'Do you even know how to get to_ _King's Cross Station?'_ she asked.

Seraphine, if she could, would have smirked as she replied, _'You'll be surprised to know that I've traversed the farthest corners of the world in just a span of a few days after shedding my down. See you!'_

Once Jemma opened the window, Seraphine took flight. She flew a few good leagues away, reached the Quidditch pitch, and disappeared in a flash of flames. Taking her friend's word for it, Jemma did a quick once-over of her trunk, packed a few personal items in a rucksack, then, headed downstairs.

* * *

After explaining to Harry that Seraphine had gone ahead, a quick breakfast, and an even quicker shower so she could dress in the most comfortable clothes she could pick, she, Otulissa _(who was safely shut in her cage, sleeping)_ and all of her things Apparated with Harry to King's Cross Station, where her mother and Dudley were waiting. Seeing that her father had not accompanied them, Jemma's heart ached. She had hoped that she would be able to talk to him, even if it was just to say "I love you, Dad." Or "I'll write to you soon."

Dudley noticed his little sister's frown and gave her a big hug in hopes to console her. "Did he stay behind?" Jemma asked him quietly.

"He said he had something to do at the office..." Dudley sighed.

"He was fired from office the last time I saw him," Jemma pointed out.

"Surprisingly, Dad managed to get himself hired in another company the whole week you've been gone," her brother informed her.

"Good for him," Jemma shrugged before facing her Mum.

Petunia had a warm smile, despite the turmoil of her family well on its way to being upended, on her face as she kissed her daughter on both cheeks. "Write to us, won't you, my darling?" she implored.

"I will, Mum, every week," Jemma smiled.

Petunia embraced Harry and, gently, whispered in her ear, "Watch over her whenever you can, Harry, please..." to which her nephew nodded as he returned the embrace.

That's when the Weasley family arrived with Hermione.

"We better get going," Harry said, helping Jemma with her trolley.

"Bye, Mum! Bye, Dudley!" Jemma waved goodbye to her mother and brother and trotted after Harry.

Ron saw them first and waved them over. "Let's wait a bit. When the crowd thickens, we'll slip through the barrier," he told them as they stood near the brick wall between Platforms 9 and 10.

Her heart racing at the prospect of going through the magical barrier and seeing the Hogwarts Express with her own eyes, Jemma did as Ron instructed. It was a busy September 1st morning and people flooded onto the platforms to catch their trains. When the crowds thickened around them, the Weasleys, Hermione, Harry, and Jemma saw their chance. One-by-one, they leaned against and disappeared into the wall. Jemma and Harry were the last ones to go after Ginny, watching her disappear through the wall with her trolley, before looking at each other.

"How did it feel the first time?" Jemma asked curiously.

"It wasn't that different from ordinary walking. But it's best to go at it in a run if you're nervous," her cousin told her, holding one side of the trolley steady.

Jemma held the other side and, together, they went through the barrier.

Jemma would never forget her first look at the Hogwarts Express. A bright scarlet steam engine locomotive sat on the tracks, great puffs of white smoke pouring out of its smokestack, surrounded by throngs of wizarding families seeing their children off, as owls flew overhead and cats scurried about.

"Wow..." Jemma breathed out, eyes wide in wonder.

"A lot to take in, huh?" Harry chuckled, ruffling her hair, as he quickly pulled up the hood of his jacket to keep anyone from recognizing him. Jemma merely nodded, a big grin on her face, before she and Harry joined their friends.

Ron, George, Bill, Charlie, and Percy were all giving their sister extra hugs and extra reminders to write to them everyday. Since Ginny was the only one in their family now going to Hogwarts, they wanted to stay updated on what was happening to and around her.

"If any barmy git looks at you funny, let us know," Ron told her.

"As soon as possible," George added.

"Oh, geroff, you two, Ginny can handle herself," Charlie laughed, giving his sister a big hug.

"Take care, Ginevra," Bill said playfully dodging his sister's hand.

"We'll write to you and Jemma every week," Percy promised.

Arthur hugged his daughter, telling her how proud he was of her, while Molly was close to weeping as she gave Ginny a kiss.

After getting a tight hug from Hermione, who wished her the best, Ginny went over to Harry and Jemma. "It's going to be strange going back without you..." the redheaded Weasley admitted, looking a bit sad.

Harry sadly smiled and brushed a stray strand of red hair behind her ear. "I'm going to miss you everyday But, I'm patient. I'll wait for you," he said softly.

"How the tables have turned," Ginny smiled before pressing her lips to Harry's.

"Children in the vicinity, you two!" Jemma hollered, making them break the kiss.

Harry and Ginny laughed at the young girl's mischievousness. "Don't worry, Harry, Jemma's in safe hands. I'll watch over her," Ginny reassured her boyfriend.

"I know. Thanks, Gin," Harry said and watched her leave to get her trunks packed into the luggage compartment before looking at his younger cousin with a semi-stern look on his face. "And, you, young lady, better not give Ginny a hard time. Try not to get into trouble on your first week. You can pull pranks on anyone you like the week after," he told Jemma, who nodded dutifully, before leaning in close.

"I hid the Marauder's Map in your trunk under your robes. Just be mindful of Mrs. Norris and Mr. Filch."

Jemma was already familiar with the Marauder's Map from Harry's Third Year. Once, during the summer of his Fourth Year, he'd shown it to her and indicated all the secret passageways in the castle as well as how to use it. And this summer, he had informed her that, while Hogwarts had been rebuilt, some of the secret passageways were still accessible. Harry had a feeling that Jemma might need a guide _(or, most likely, a way to evade the caretaker's grasp should she or some of her future friends get into a tight spot)_ so he decided to give her the Map.

After Harry had whispered the secret into her ear, Jemma repeated the two phrases the Map required.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good. Mischief managed."

Smiling at his younger cousin, Harry pulled her into an embrace. "I'm sure you'll have a wonderful time at Hogwarts, Jemma," he murmured, running his fingers through Jemma's hair.

"But, Harry, what if I don't get Sorted into the right House? What if I don't get the lessons? I don't want to disappoint you, or Aunt Lily, or Uncle James..." Jemma mumbled, still feeling nervous, before looking into Harry's brilliant emerald green eyes. Fear of the unknown was evident in her doe brown eyes and Harry's green had a rather calming effect on her so Jemma focused on his eyes for a bit.

When her cousin took hold of her shoulders, Jemma blinked. "Jemma, you are never going to disappoint me, or my parents, so long as you do what's right both for yourself and others. Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, Slytherin... It won't matter to me which House you'll be Sorted into. I am already so proud of you. And I always will be. Never forget that," Harry told her, his eyes shining with both love and pride.

Jemma, after a minute to let Harry's words sink in, relaxed and embraced Harry tightly. "I'll do my best..." she promised.

"I know you will," Harry smiled as they let go of each other.

Already, the Weasleys were helping Ginny get her and Jemma's trunks onto the train, Otulissa awake and hooting for Jemma to get her.

"Cousins together; friends forever," Harry grinned as he and Jemma locked their pinkies together.

"Cousins together; friends forever... I've missed that," Jemma smiled, giving Harry one last hug, before joining Ginny on the train, carrying Otulissa's cage.

The two girls watched their family and friends wave goodbye as the Hogwarts Express chugged out of the station. Both of them waved back, giggling when they saw Harry race to the edge of the platform, almost tripping over his own two feet in his haste, and shouted out promises to write soon and not get into any mischief. Jemma managed to keep her eyes locked on her cousin's long enough to see that they were filled with sheer adoration for her.

As Harry, Hermione, Ron, and the rest of the Weasleys disappeared from view, Jemma and Ginny caught sight of a scarlet streak following them. "Looks like Seraphine's joining us," Jemma smiled at Ginny, the girl she was already beginning to look up to as a big sister.

"Wonder how everyone will react to seeing a phoenix at Hogwarts. It's been a while since Fawkes left..." Ginny said wistfully, remembering the brave phoenix of Dumbledore's who helped Harry in saving her life back at the Chamber of Secrets.

"Do you think Fawkes will know that his daughter's there? Do you think he'll come back?" Jemma asked her.

Ginny shrugged before spotting a familiar face.

"Luna!"

Both girls were thrilled to see their friend, handing out copies of the Quibbler to anyone passing by, and rushed over to her. "Hello, Ginny. And hello to you, too, Jemma," Luna smiled as she handed them their copies of the Quibbler.

Jemma looked through the articles and stopped at a particularly intriguing one. "Nargles have now infiltrated the Ministry of Magic... What's a Nargle?" she frowned before Luna handed her a Butterbeer cork necklace she painted with fiery orange and red feather patterns.

"This will keep them from stealing your stuff. And, when it's Christmas, it's best to avoid mistletoe since they're known to infest it," Luna advised her.

While still in the dark on what a Nargle was, Jemma put on the necklace. That's when Ginny saw some fellow Seventh Years and remembered something important. "Merlin... Head Boys and Girls... completely forgot..." she muttered, putting a hand to her forehead.

"What's wrong, Gin?" Jemma asked, tilting her head up.

"I'm Head Girl and I have to share a compartment with the Head Boy and all the House Prefects. Sorry, Jem, I can't sit with you for the ride. Why don't you go find a compartment with Luna..." Ginny swiveled her head from Jemma to find Luna already on the far side of the train car, passing out Quibblers to everyone, and groaned.

Jemma was about to tell Ginny that she could go find a compartment by herself when she caught sight of a blonde witch with a flower, a blue magnolia, in her hair enter an empty train compartment a few steps away. Smiling, Jemma turned to Ginny. "No worries, Gin. I think I know where I'll be sitting," she reassured her.

While Ron's sister joined her fellows, Jemma carried Otulissa's cage over to the compartment she had in mind and knocked on the door, which promptly opened to reveal a familiar face.

"Mind if I sit with you, Wendy?"

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts, early morning**_

Minerva McGonagall surveyed the portraits of the school's past Headmasters, her eyes lingering on Dumbledore's, as she rechecked the list of First Year students for this term. "This will be quite a term, I believe," Dumbledore's portrait smiled, his eyes twinkling behind his half-moon spectacles.

"Indeed..." the Headmistress sighed, already imagining the kind of chaos the next generation of young witches and wizards will bring.

"I will see to it that Filch will be able to round up most of the troublemakers should they think of stealing from my Potions cupboard."

Dumbledore chuckled while McGonagall gave a pointed look to the ghost lingering in her office. The ghost, while pearly white and transparent, still managed to maintain his greasy, black hair, and simpering scowl after all this time. "Now, Severus, if you terrorize the students once more..." McGonagall chided the former Potions master.

"Better _I_ terrorize them than Peeves," Snape retorted. Dumbledore chuckled once more and remarked, "You make a fine point, Severus, but let us not dwell on the future troubles, but the future students coming to our school. Ah, the new arrivals... Young minds eager to learn. If I am not mistaken... a cousin of Harry's is joining us. Now _that_ is something to look forward to."

McGonagall smiled and couldn't help but let out a small titter upon seeing Snape's appalled and horrified face. The former head of Slytherin House, his cloak swishing as he sailed through the air like an airborne snake, began muttering prayers to God and Merlin. "If that girl turns out to be just as insolent and foolhardy as the boy, it will be ruin for the school..." Snape grumbled.

"You needn't worry about it, Severus. I've been fortunate to meet Ms. Dursley. She is a well-mannered child, I assure you," McGonagall reassured him.

Snape merely scowled, but his mind wandered to the young girl he had seen during the holidays of Potter's Third Year. Back then, he had thought that the girl was an irritatingly excitable child the way she looked at everything. But he supposed that it was due to the fact that she had been only a child, not yet aware of the magic within her, and nothing more.

And, then, there was that one time he saw her, just a smidge bit older, during the boy's Fifth Year Occulumency lessons with him. Disastrous as the lessons were, it allowed Severus to see just how strong the boy's resolve to protect others was. From the brief memories he had seen inside the boy's mind of the girl, it was clear to Snape that she was one of the most important people in Lily's son's life.

And he had to admit... he saw a bit of Lily in her...

Turning to McGonagall, who was waiting for his response, Snape, still wearing that same scowl on his sallow face, said, "I will take your word for it, Minerva." And left the Headmistress's office. But not before muttering something under his breath that made Dumbledore's portrait's eyes twinkle.

"I will see to it that, compared to the boy, she excels in Potions."

* * *

 _ **Hogwarts Express**_

Jemma found it rather hard to keep Wendy's hand steady as she applied Colour-Changing Nail Polish to her nails. Whenever she launched into a story about her life in America or its magical history, Wendy flapped her hands all over the place, making wild gestures to articulate key points in the story. But Jemma didn't mind. Wendy's stories were a ton of fun to listen to. Right now, Wendy was regaling her with a tale about Rappaport's Law and its repercussions on America's Wizarding Community.

"So thanks to Dorcus Twelvetrees, the No-Majs at the time were able to obtain information about MACUSA, that's the American equivalent for the Ministry here, and also Ilvermorny. The No-Majs formed squadrons in order to hunt down any witches and wizards living in their area. If only Dorcus could have seen that Bartholemew Barebone was of Scourer descent...

"But, then again, she'd been known to be a poor student in Ilvermorny. The records kept back there don't say much of her accomplishments, only her bad grades.

"And her actions forced MACUSA to pass Rappaport's Law and drive the entire American Wizarding Community deeper underground. To this day, American wizards aren't allowed to practice their magic so close to No-Majs. Anyone who does that, back in Ilvermorny, we call him or her a Dorcus AKA an idiot. Fun fact: Rappaport's Law was enacted sometime during the 1790s. During that time, the term 'a Dorcus' became popular. In 1926, the British Magizoologist, Newt Scamander, was in the US at the time and, from what I've heard, he played a big role in taking down Gellert Grindelwald," Wendy said, smiling sheepishly as she saw that Jemma was trying and failing to paint one of her nails because she was gesturing so wildly about with her hands.

"Wow... I didn't know America's magical history was so vast..." Jemma said, amazed nonetheless, as she finished painting all of Wendy's nails.

"Yeah. While Rappaport's Law was repealed in 1965, the Wizarding community in America's still wary about interacting with No-Majs. I can't blame them what with the Salem Witch trials in the 1600s and the Second Salemers from the 1920s. At least here, my family can breathe a little easier and have more Muggle friends. A lot of the parents in Ilvermorny still persuade their kids to limit their contact with them," Wendy shrugged before painting Jemma's nails this time.

"You're using British terms now. It won't be long until you're speaking in true Brit accent," Jemma smirked at her.

"Oh wow, what will Mom and Dad say?" Wendy laughed.

Both girls continued painting each other's nails, marveling at how the colours would change every ten seconds, in silence for a while before the trolley witch passed by along with two boys, who were both rummaging through their pockets for money. Jemma and Wendy both decided that it was time for a snack.

When they joined the two boys at the trolley, however, someone suddenly cried out, "There's a phoenix flying right by us!" and practically everyone rushed out of their compartments!

Wendy and Jemma shared a smile, already knowing what was going on, and joined the rest in pressing their noses to the windows.

True enough, Seraphine was flying rather close to the Hogwarts Express. Some of the children pried open a few windows and tried to reach out to try touching just one of her tail feathers, but Seraphine easily swooped out of their grasps. With such grace, she circled over to Jemma and Wendy and happily trilled.

"See you at Hogwarts, Seraphine," Jemma whispered, the phoenix trilling in reply, and watched as Seraphine soared on ahead.

Wendy glanced at Otulissa, still sleeping in her cage, and it all made sense. "It'll be weird having a phoenix delivering your mail," she remarked to Jemma once Seraphine was out of sight and everyone headed back into their compartments.

"That's why I have Otulissa," the young girl replied. The two of them caught sight of the trolley witch and made a beeline for her, their stomachs growling and in need of sweets.

The two boys who had been rummaging through their pockets earlier were there, too, and were both buying Liquorice Wands. Jemma recognized them both. "Lawrence? Vincent?" she called out as she and Wendy neared the two.

Both boys heard her and, upon turning their heads, nearly dropped their Liquorice Wands. "I was wondering when I'd see you," Lawrence shook Jemma's hand again and smiled a bit at Wendy.

"Hello, Jemma," Vincent mumbled, twirling his Liquorice Wand absently in his fingers, and looked down at his shoes.

Jemma smiled shyly at Vincent, unsure on what to say next, before Wendy piped up, "You guys saw the phoenix earlier?"

"Oh, yeah, it was really something. I'm going to include that in my first letter to my Mum and Dad," Lawrence nodded.

"I heard that there used to be a phoenix living in Hogwarts. Was that the same one?" Vincent asked curiously.

Wendy glanced at Jemma for a second, enough to see her give a small shake of the head, and did the same. Something told her that her new friend didn't want anyone else finding out about Seraphine. Then, her and Jemma's growling stomachs brought them back to their present task and they both decided to get a bit of everything off the trolley, splitting the cost of 11 Sickles between the two of them.

"Picnic in our compartment? There's loads to go around," Jemma offered.

"But no one touches the Chocolate Frogs. I need my chocolate..." Wendy warned them, already unwrapping one.

"That's a bit too much..." Lawrence raised an eyebrow as Wendy expertly kept the wriggling Chocolate Frog in her hand.

"There is no such thing as too much chocolate," Wendy told him, popping the confection into her mouth.

Lawrence and Vincent helped the girls carry the sweets into their compartment and, for the rest of the trip, chatted while eating them. Vincent and Lawrence quickly got acquainted with Wendy and, after hearing about her life in America and Ilvermorny, told her and Jemma about their families.

The two boys' families, the Casbys and Aureliuses, were close friends and both highly respected in the Wizarding community. Lawrence's family was known in the fields of Herbology and Magizoology while Vincent's was one of the most skilled artisan jewelers in all of Britain.

"If you ever saw my house, you'd think we'd been overrun by all the plants and beasts there. Mum and Dad are always looking out for new species. As for Vincent's family, they have an entire workshop in their basement where all the jewelry for high standing families all over the country is made," Lawrence told Jemma and Wendy.

"Huh, so you're both rich boys..." Jemma remarked.

"Yeah, but Lawrence and I aren't spoiled or anything," Vincent told her as he had a Cauldron Cake.

Wendy, in turn, told the trio about her parents. Her mother and father, who both worked for MACUSA, were now serving in the Ministry's Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes. "They work for the Muggle-Worthy Excuse Committee, specifically. My Mom comes from a No-Maj family so she knows better than Dad, who pretty much grew up surrounded by magic, when it comes to coming up with excuses," she informed them before polishing off a fourth Chocolate Frog.

"So, you're a Half-Blood while you two are Purebloods," Jemma said, suddenly feeling a tiny bit embarrassed, gesturing to each of her new friends.

"What about you, Jemma?" Vincent asked as he passed her a Pumpkin Pasty.

Jemma quickly debated whether to tell them that she was Harry Potter's cousin before, ultimately, deciding against it. There were three possibilities that could happen.

A. They'd think she was joking and laugh.

B. They'd think she was lying.

C. They'd start thinking she was going to be the next Chosen One or something similar.

In the end, Jemma replied, "Well, I'm from a Muggle family, but my Aunt and cousin on my Mum's side of the family are magic." And didn't say anything else.

* * *

After talking about their families, the four newly-acquainted friends partook in a guessing game while eating Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

Lawrence got Almond, Bacon, Cinnamon, Sugared Violet, and Toffee.

Wendy, having never tried Bertie Bott's before, was eager to try every bean she got before she ended up biting into a Liver flavoured one on her first try and put them all back in the box. "When the box said _'A risk with every mouthful!'_ , they weren't kidding..." she grimaced, grabbing another Chocolate Frog to get rid of the taste.

"No worries, I got some of the safe flavours here. You can have them," Jemma offered her a handful of beans that she was sure were comprised of the proper sweet flavours such as Coconut, Apple, Chocolate, Marmalade, Peppermint, Bubblegum, and Marshmallow.

Vincent bit into a light blue one and gagged.

"Blech... Sardine..."

After eating their way through all of the sweets, Jemma, Wendy, Vincent, and Lawrence had another conversation. This time, the topic was on the four Houses.

"I'd like to be in any of them," Wendy said, beaming.

"Even Slytherin?" Lawrence asked, eyes wide.

"Why not? Sure, that House had some bad eggs. But that doesn't mean all Slytherins are evil," Wendy pointed out. She may have been raised in America, but Wendy was up to date in whatever was happening in Britain because her family always kept in touch with some of her father's friends who had been present in Britain during the Second War. As for her views on House rivalry, Wendy didn't care about them. She'd seen house rivalries in Ilvermorny before, but she never supported any House. She accepted everyone, regardless where they came from.

Vincent frowned a little as he dug his headphones and Walkman out of his bag. "My parents would disown me if I get Sorted into Slytherin," he said, his dark blue eyes suddenly cold as he gave Wendy a disapproving look.

"Harsh, much..." Wendy mumbled, but Vincent had already slipped his headphones over his ears and was currently nodding his head to the music.

"Mum and Dad aren't too strict when it comes to what House I'll be in. But, well, they were both in Ravenclaw and are kind of expecting me to be there, too. Slytherin... I'll admit, they're not their biggest fans, either. You know, I've heard rumours that Slytherin House is jinxed and everyone's calling it ' _The Evil House.'_ No one wants to be friends with a Slytherin because they're afraid of turning to the Dark Side," Lawrence told them.

Jemma frowned. "Well, that's a bit unfair. Sure, there was Lord Voldemort, but not every Slytherin can be evil," she said before noticing Wendy and Lawrence staring at her with their mouths agape.

Vincent had his eyes closed and was mouthing the words to some rock song and hadn't heard her.

"You said the name..." Lawrence said in awe.

"Like it was nothing..." Wendy added, awestruck.

"So? He's gone and, really, it's only a name. Nothing more, nothing less. I'm just saying that just because one wizard from Slytherin turned bad, it doesn't automatically make everyone in that House like him," Jemma shrugged, resisting the urge to roll her eyes in amusement.

"So you're saying that you're okay with getting Sorted into Slytherin?" Wendy asked her, curious, as she fiddled with the blue magnolia in her hair.

Jemma shrugged again and said, "I guess but, I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for Gryffindor... or maybe Hufflepuff... that House sounds great, too..." while keeping to herself the fact that she was terrified.

Despite Harry reassuring her that he would be proud of her no matter what House she was Sorted into, Jemma couldn't help but feel guilty of hypocrisy.

* * *

The sky outside soon turned dark and older witches and wizards were now roaming around the train cars and telling all the First Years to get changed. Vincent and Lawrence excused themselves to go change into their robes. Wendy and Jemma got dressed into their plain black Hogwarts robes, giggling with excitement, and even had enough time to braid each other's hair before the boys got back. Vincent took one look at Jemma, her hair in a fishtail braid, and blushed to the tips of his ears. Lawrence took notice of this and playfully elbowed him, making his friend glare at him.

"Somebody's tongue tied," Wendy grinned mischievously, glancing at Jemma, who merely avoided eye contact with Vincent for a good full minute.

When the call came out that the train would be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes, Jemma, Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence hastened to collect all the sweet wrappers and cram it into their pockets, remembering to throw them out later, and all the Chocolate Frog cards.

"You got Cliodne in there, Wendy?" Lawrence asked the blonde.

"Yeah, I got an extra... Ooh, I got Harry Potter!" Wendy looked at her card, the Boy Who Lived staring back at her.

Jemma edged a bit closer to see the card. There was Harry, jet black hair messy as ever, with his piercing green eyes and a stoic look on his face, looking every bit the courageous Savior of the Wizarding World he was.

But, underneath all that seriousness and no matter what the little description under the picture said, for Jemma, he would always be her cousin Harry.

"Oh, hey, got another one... Want one, Jemma?" Wendy asked, handing her another. Jemma accepted it as she and her new friends left their compartment.

Before getting off the train, she looked at her Chocolate Frog card.

Harry's picture, as if recognizing who had gotten his card, smiled at her.

"You think I should tell them about you?" Jemma whispered, holding the card up to face Wendy, Vincent, and Lawrence all excitedly talking to each other, before facing it to her again.

Picture Harry seemed to chuckle and shrugged.

"Yeah, I'll let them figure it out on their own," Jemma smiled, pocketing the Chocolate Frog card, before getting off the Hogwarts Express and diving into the sea of heads and black robes.

* * *

 **Wonder how long it'll take for Jemma's new friends to discover that she's not exactly the most ordinary Muggleborn witch?**

 **In the meantime, read and review! Feedback makes me happy!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	10. 10: The Sorting (RW)

**Didn't change much... because I'm sure all of you know what'll happen next.**

 **Author's Note: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! ALL RIGHTS GO TO JK ROWLING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 10: The Sorting**

Hagrid wasn't difficult to spot, given his great height, as he herded all of the First Years down to the path leading to the boats. He spotted Jemma and gave her a cheery wave, which Jemma returned. "Right, yeh'll get yer firs sight o' Hogwarts jus 'round here..." Hagrid said as he guided all of them down the path.

"Oooooh!"

"Wow..."

"Wicked!"

Even though she had already seen Hogwarts once when she was eight and through Harry's sketches, Jemma couldn't stop herself from voicing her amazement with everyone else. Hard to believe that, just about a year ago, Hogwarts had been almost reduced to a pile of rubble. The rebuilt castle still looked just as magnificent as before, its tall windows sparkling in the starry sky, perched on the side of a great hill overlooking a great valley and a large, black lake.

"No more'n four to a boat!" Hagrid called, guiding the new arrivals to a fleet of boats waiting on the shore.

Jemma suddenly felt like her feet had been glued to the ground as she gazed at the lake in fear. What if she fell in? She knew, from Harry's stories, that a giant squid lived in the depths of the Black Lake. What if it was hungry?

As she stood there, everyone else began climbing into the boats. Vincent noticed that Jemma hadn't moved and nudged her. "You all right?" he asked, his dark blue eyes almost black in the darkness.

"I don't know how to swim..." Jemma mumbled.

Vincent found her hand and held it. "Don't worry. I won't let you fall in," he whispered.

Relaxing a bit, Jemma followed Vincent to a boat where Lawrence and Wendy were already seated in.

"FORWARD!"

At Hagrid's command, the boats smoothly glided across the lake. While Wendy and Lawrence were gazing at the castle in awe, Jemma was trying really hard not to look at the water while Vincent kept his eye on her and squeezed her hand reassuringly. One boat filled with some rambunctious boys suddenly bumped into the boat Jemma, Vincent, Lawrence, and Wendy were in and caused Jemma to yelp, grabbing onto Vincent's robes out of fear, and for Wendy to send dirty looks at the boys in the boat floating near theirs. Vincent awkwardly patted Jemma's shoulder to help her stay calm while Lawrence held Wendy back when she tried to go near the boat and give its occupants a piece of her mind. Hagrid noticed the commotion and hollered, "Oi! No need to be scufflin'! We'll be there in a bit." Prompting Wendy to back off.

Still, Wendy sent daggered looks at the boys and only calmed when Lawrence gave her a Chocolate Frog he'd saved.

The boats went through an ivy curtain before arriving at the school boathouse. Clambering out of the boats, the First Years began to excitedly talk amongst themselves. Jemma, Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence were also whispering to each other as they walked, slipping on the pebbles, until someone let out a shout of alarm.

"Oh, don't look so surprised. Your parents should have told you about the ghost population in this school by now."

Jemma saw several students gaping at a misty figure currently scowling at them all. Taking a few steps forward, she saw that the misty figure was, in fact, the ghost of a man with a hooked nose, greasy-looking hair, who was dressed in an austere robe that was a dark shade of silver with a long cloak that, if Jemma took a really good look at it, resembled a snake's forked tongue when it billowed. The Phoenix Soul smiled, recognizing the ghost on sight.

And, apparently, the ghost recognized her as well for he turned his attention from the other First Years gawking at him to her. "Wipe that smile off your face," he told her sternly, his face showing nothing but disapproval towards Jemma and her perkiness.

But, to everyone's amazement, Jemma didn't fold. Rather, her smile brightened. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Professor Snape," she cheerfully greeted the ghost.

Snape faltered for a moment, allowing surprise to flit across his face for the briefest of seconds, then scoffed as he floated off. He risked a glance and mentally cursed when he saw Jemma still smiling at him. _'Merlin, her smile is so much like Lily's and her son's...'_ he thought, giving Hagrid a curt nod, before vanishing completely.

Jemma then noticed that everyone was staring at her oddly, including Vincent, Lawrence, and Wendy. "What?" she asked them and Lawrence, in turn, asked her, "You do realize that you just talked to the former Head of Slytherin, Severus Snape, who was a Death Eater?" his eyes wide in amazement.

"Oh, he was? I just heard about him from my cousin," Jemma replied, shrugging.

"Does that mean your cousin fought in the war?" Wendy curiously inquired.

Jemma panicked slightly at the question, not wanting to reveal her secret, and quickly nodded.

"Whoa... Your cousin must have been very brave..." a short girl with watery blue eyes, freckle-dotted cheeks, and plaited brown hair said in quiet amazement.

Jemma noticed that she was standing right next to her and smiled. "Yeah... he was... and he still is. He's one of the bravest people I know..." she said softly to the young girl, whom she found rather sweet.

"I'm Annie," by the way, the girl grinned, holding her hand out.

"Jemma. Nice to meet you, Annie,"

Jemma smiled back, shaking her hand.

* * *

After leaving the school's boathouse, the eager students followed Hagrid up the great marble steps leading to a small chamber. Professor McGonagall was there, waiting for them, and her sharp eyes perused every student's face. A hush fell over the group as everyone stood tightly packed in that one chamber, waiting for the first words they would hear from the Headmistress. "All yer's, Headmistress McGonagall," Hagrid said heartily.

"Thank you, Hagrid," the professor smiled as the gamekeeper took his leave. Hagrid caught Jemma's eye for a brief moment and they shared a secret smile before the former of the two left.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," Professor McGonagall began, all the students snapping to attention.

"In a few moments, you will walk through those doors and join your classmates. Before the start of term feast, you will all be Sorted into your respective Houses. They are Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin _(Jemma noticed everyone turn pale at the mention of Slytherin)_ named after the four founders of Hogwarts. While you are here, your House will be like your family and points will either be earnt or lost depending on your behavior and accomplishments. At the end of the school year, the House with the most points will win the House Cup, an honor for their House.

"Now, due to several complications caused by the war, I understand that several of you may be older than 11-years-old. While you will all be sorted into First Year, your classes will be adjusted to your age level in order for you to catch up with your peers."

After she had spoken, Professor McGonagall looked at all the students as the doors opened. "Follow me," she said briskly and led the students into the Great Hall.

Jemma looked around, her eyes filled with wonder, and knew that she would never tire of seeing this place. The torches were all lit and she could feel the power burning in all the flames, her Phoenix Soul abilities practically giddy at the feeling. Looking up at the enchanted ceiling, Jemma felt like she was looking up into the heavens itself and not a ceiling that had been bewitched by a spell.

Suddenly a couple students shouted as the ghosts arrived, their silvery forms like mist as they flew through the air.

"Hope to see some of you in Hufflepuff!" the Fat Friar waved cheerfully as he swept past them.

"Welcome to Hogwarts! I'm looking forward to seeing some of you get Sorted into Gryffindor!" Sir Nicholas bowed to the First Years, creeping some of them out when his head hung off his neck by a bit of sinew and flesh.

"That's Nearly Headless Nick..." Vincent whispered to himself, eyes wide.

"Yeesh... Whoever executed him did a lousy job..." Wendy mumbled.

"He was sentenced to death after a mishap with Lady Grieve in 1492. He would have escaped if the authorities hadn't confiscated his wand. I wonder where they threw it away..." Lawrence mused before seeing the Grey Lady, the Ravenclaw ghost, and stared at her, transfixed.

Jemma giggled, seeing that her friend had just become infatuated with a ghost, before she resumed looking around. The other students were eyeing the four House tables, each one wondering which table they would sit at after the Sorting.

The Hufflepuff table, decorated with black and yellow tablecloths, was filled with students of all sorts. Some had dyed their hair and were talking in hushed whispers, others wore accessories that looked like something out of a punk rock dream and were impatiently drumming their fingers on the table, and a few were sporting floral accessories and whispering to each other excitedly.

Wendy had already caught the eye of some of them and was cheerfully waving to the Hufflepuffs.

The Ravenclaws, decked out in blue and gold, were watching the line of First Years with keen interest.

Lawrence looked at their table and gulped, hoping that he would get Sorted into Ravenclaw... and survive.

And the Gryffindors were most energetic, waving to all the new arrivals and already placing bets on who would join them.

Vincent looked hopefully at the table of the House of the Brave. If he got Sorted into another House, his parents would have a fit. Quickly, he shut his eyes and began chanting, "Sort me into Gryffindor... Sort me into Gryffindor..." his fingers crossed behind his back.

Only the Slytherin table was silent, its occupants sitting quietly in their seats. They stared at the First Years with a look that could have only been described as fear. They were afraid of being accused as future Death Eaters, afraid to see the angry looks on everybody's faces when a First Year would be Sorted into their House, afraid to see the horrified look on that unfortunate newbie's face.

Seeing the Slytherins' subdued looks, Jemma felt pity for them. _'It won't be long until their table's almost half-empty...'_ she thought before jerking to attention when Vincent nudged her and motioned to the front of the line.

Professor McGonagall had placed a stool in front and, on it, plunked a scruffy hat that looked like had seen better days. After a few moments, a rip came open at the hat's brim and a deep, throaty voice began to croak:

 _Another year has come again_

 _But first I must let the Sorting begin_

 _With four Houses, each noble and true,_

 _Where oh where, shall I place you?_

 _Shall I place you into the House of Gryffindor,_

 _The Lion's Den of fabled lore?_

 _Be warned for they are daring and more_

 _Courageous than those knights of yore_

 _And in this House, its students are brave_

 _One of them, the Wizarding World he did save_

 _Or perhaps you'll like to be in House Hufflepuff_

 _Of different sorts and equally up to snuff?_

 _They may not boast or gloat about what they've done_

 _But Hufflepuffs are a good and kindly lot_

 _So I'm sure you'll have fun._

 _Maybe your place is in the group of clever Ravenclaw_

 _Where the brightest of minds forge on?_

 _Their brains are quick and sharp as a whip_

 _They learn and learn to increase their wit_

 _Lastly, you may prefer Slytherin; a House feared by many_

 _But before you judge them, may I ask you,_

 _To not judge them so hastily_

 _Yes, they have a treacherous past,_

 _But now wish to erase this reputation_

 _Perhaps, when you join them,_

 _You will be the source of their salvation._

 _Four Houses, where will you belong?_

 _Will you make bonds between them strong?_

 _Let us find out, let us see,_

 _Put me on and I'll tell you where you should be_

Everyone applauded as the Sorting Hat finished its song, then, the students quickly formed a line. Jemma was the ninth among the first ten pupils, along with her new friends, and craned her neck to see who was first.

"Alistair, Jackson!"

A freckle-faced boy with stringy light brown hair stepped forward. He was a somewhat short boy with a huge grin on his face as the Sorting Hat was slipped onto his head, completely covering his eyes. About a minute passed before the Hat shouted out, "HUFFLEPUFF!" sending the crowd at the yellow-and-black table into a round of enormous cheering. Jackson Alistair himself looked ecstatic and got off the stool and returned the Hat to its place no sooner had his House been announced.

"Amethyst, Tanya!"

A magenta-haired witch with violet eyes strode over to the stool and jammed the Hat onto her head.

"SLYTHERIN!" the Hat announced after 30 seconds.

To Jemma's surprise, there was no cheering from the Slytherin table and the applause coming from the other Houses seemed forced. She looked around and saw, on the elevated platform where the teachers sat, an old man wearing what used to be a fine tweed suit clapping loudly when Tanya Amethyst was made Slytherin and looked quite relieved.

"Who's that man up there?" Jemma whispered to the tall black-haired girl in front of her.

"Professor Slughorn, Head of Slytherin House. If you ask me, he ought to retire seeing that his House is pretty much down to barely half its size," the girl replied, scowling at the Slytherins.

"I'm guessing you're not a Slytherin fan, huh?" Jemma mumbled.

The girl turned to glare at Jemma with her cold black eyes. "Why would I be? Slytherin's a bunch of Dark Wizards just waiting to be unleashed into the world," she scowled.

Jemma figured that it was best to keep her mouth shut for the time being. Something about this girl, who looked like could easily pummel her, was slightly scary. Instead she focused on the shortening distance between her three friends and the Sorting Hat.

"Aurelius, Vincent!"

"Oh, dear..." Jemma murmured as she heard Lawrence whoop in encouragement for his friend.

Vincent was as pale as a ghost as he sat down on the stool. Catching Jemma's eye, he mouthed a ' _Help me!_ ' as the Hat was placed on his head, completely covering his eyes.

About two minutes later, the Hat cried out, "GRYFFINDOR!"

The lions at the Gryffindor table cheered as Vincent staggered over to them and all but collapsed with relief onto a spot on the bench.

"I told you that you'd get in!" Lawrence laughed, giving his friend a thumbs up. Vincent smiled weakly at him and Wendy cheered along with the Gryffindors. When he saw Jemma, his courage returned and he grinned, placing his hand on one spot on the bench next to him. ' _I'll save you a seat,_ ' he mouthed to Jemma who giggled, cheeks turning slightly red.

"Barnabas, Wendy!" Wendy adjusted the magnolia in her hair and went to get Sorted. She crossed her fingers, a bit nervous, as the Hat was placed on her head.

Nearly four minutes passed before the Hat screamed, "HUFFLEPUFF!"

The Hufflepuff table was located near the entrance to the great hall and Wendy had to jog past the line of students still waiting to be Sorted. Along her way, she high fived Lawrence and Wendy. "I hope we get to be roommates!" Wendy told Jemma as she passed by her.

"Same here!" Jemma replied, getting more excited by the minute.

Two more students, Miranda Berkley and Harold Cadance, were respectively Sorted into Gryffindor and Slytherin. Then Lawrence was next. He took a deep breath to calm his nerves, then, made his way over to the stool. His Sorting nearly resulted in a Hatstall, but, luckily, at the five-minute mark, the Sorting Hat announced, "RAVENCLAW!" and Lawrence managed to give Jemma a relieved grin as he trooped over to the Ravenclaw table.

"Devon, Cassie!"

The cold girl Jemma had talked to earlier confidently walked over to the stool and put the Hat on her head. No sooner did she do that, the Sorting Hat screamed out, "GRYFFINDOR!" Cassie looked triumphant, almost as if she had been expecting to be Sorted into that particular House, and patted Jemma's shoulder, wishing her good luck in a tone that barely sounded genuine. Jemma gave her a tight smile and turned back to the Sorting Hat.

"Dursley, Jemma!"

' _Here goes..._ ' the young Phoenix Soul thought as she made her way over to the chair. As she sat down, Jemma saw Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence all looking up at her with huge smiles on their faces. They were all waiting for her to join them and she smiled at the thought of getting to be closer to them. _'This is great! I have three Houses with friends Sorted into them! Now it's only a matter of the Sorting Hat's decision on where to place me...'_ Jemma thought giddily as Professor McGonagall placed the Sorting Hat on her head.

A small voice entered her mind.

 _'Well, hello there, Ms. Dursley... Hmmm... Ah! I know just where to place you. Believe me, I'm sure you'll do your cousin proud here...'_

Jemma grinned. What luck! She was going to be in...

 _"SLYTHERIN!"_

* * *

 **Okay, I owe you all an apology for it was such a long wait for all of you... possibly two because I'm leaving this on a cliffhanger. Sorry times two! Please forgive me!**

 **For those of you who don't know, a Hatstall (which both Wendy Barnabas and Lawrence Casby were close to becoming earlier) is a term used for a student in Hogwarts whose Sorting takes more than five minutes.**

 **I would also like to thank all of the reviewers who have been giving me feedback on this tale and my other stories. Thank you all so much! I promise that I'll do my best to write better chapters and to end this story on a good note. Until then, keep being awesome everybody!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	11. 11: Snakeling

**I'm back! And, again, sorry for taking so long. I needed time to stew over how everything pans out after Jemma's Sorting.**

 **Okay, so last chapter ended with a cliffhanger and Jemma has just been sorted into Slytherin. How does she take it? How do her friends take it? How do the teachers (Hagrid, Ginny, and Professor McGonagall, especially) take it?**

 **Read on to find out!**

 **NOTE: I OWN NOTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 11: Snakeling**

" _SLYTHERIN_!"

That name kept repeating itself in Jemma's head long after she had gotten off the stool and plodded over to the table decked out in green and silver. But there was no denying the stunned looks on Hagrid and Professor Minerva's faces. Ginny was shocked as well, and stared at Harry's cousin who was walking towards the Slytherin table. Jemma was Harry's cousin and one of the sweetest people she'd ever met! Why would the Sorting Hat put her in Slytherin?

But none were more shocked than Jemma herself. She could hardly believe it and she did not want to believe it.

Her, a _Slytherin_!

There had to be a mistake. She didn't have a cunning bone in her body...

For God's sake, she was afraid of _snakes_!

Well, maybe she _did_ pull the occasional prank on Dudley when she felt like it. And she often acted on her own initiative instead of following her parents' command...

The more Jemma thought about it, her face paled. Had she been behaving like a Slytherin all along?

When she was seated next to Tanya Amethyst, Jemma risked a glance at the Gryffindor table. Vincent was staring at her, his face a mix of disappointment and worry. He mouthed, _You okay?_ and Jemma shrugged, weakly smiling. Then, Vincent glanced to the spot he'd saved for Jemma and frowned, seeing that Cassie Devon had taken it. Cassie just smiled shrewdly before meeting Jemma's eyes, her smile evolving into a smirk.

Jemma sighed and looked away from the Gryffindor table. Instead, she focused on the green tablecloth and tried hard to think of something more pleasant. The feasts here, Harry told her, were pretty great, so she wouldn't have a problem finding something she liked...

Oh, Merlin, _Harry._

How could she face him when she came home for the holidays? She had wanted so badly to be in Gryffindor to honor him. Now, she'd been placed in the House that was not only where several Dark wizards and witches came from, but was also the fiercest rival of Harry's House! What would he, Hermione, and Ron think?

Jemma was temporarily pulled out of her miserable thoughts when Professor McGonagall called out, "Farlen, Annie!" and she saw her new friend take her place on the stool. Two minutes later, the Hat cried out, "SLYTHERIN!"

 _'Well, at least I have one friend with me...'_ Jemma thought as Annie walked over to the Slytherin table. Annie grinned from across her seat, then, looked worried upon seeing Jemma's face.

"You all right, Jem?" Annie asked as Gertzy, Thomas was Sorted into Ravenclaw. Jemma nodded, not quite listening, and watched the Sorting continue.

A trio going by the names Jerome, Jason, and Joan Hammonds joined Hufflepuff.

Knowlen, Gloria went to Ravenclaw along with Millard, Davis.

The Gryffindors gained two new members in Moran, Timothy and Pollins, Mia.

Quentin, Edward became the fifth Ravenclaw while Reynolds, Opal and Ritchert, Topaz joined the Slytherins.

The last student to be Sorted was Stuvar, Alexander who was placed in Gryffindor.

At last, the Sorting Hat and its stool were put away and Headmistress McGonagall stood up to give the start-of-term speech.

"As the new school year begins, I must advise you all that, while thanks to the assistance of several volunteers, there are parts of the school that are still in need of repairs. These closed-off areas have been safeguarded with Anti-Access charms courtesy of Professor Flitwick. Also our caretaker, Mr. Filch, will be monitoring these areas should anyone dare to trespass. I must warn you, that the punishment for disobeying this rule will be accompanied by risk of injury due to the damage of these certain areas.

"Reminders that no magic is to be used in the hallways and that the Forbidden Forest is off-limits to all students. Our Care and Keeping of Magical Creatures teacher, Professor Hagrid, however, will be overseeing any detentions assigned there. And Madame Hooch shall host Quidditch tryouts in two weeks. Those who are interested may sign up at her office."

Then, Headmistress McGonagall looked at each and every student with grave eyes.

"We are all, if not, survivors of the dark times of war. You are the new generation and the hope for the future that peace such as this... will continue and I expect that each and every one of you will do your part to keep the peace. The time has come to cast aside old conflicts and foster unity within this school. I trust that all of you will do well to remember this as we begin the term. Thank you."

With those words, she announced the start of the feast and, then, all of Hogwarts dug in.

There was little conversation to be heard from the Slytherins, save for the chatter of First Years. Despite still reeling from shock, Jemma struck up a conversation with Annie as they ate.

"You didn't seem so happy when the Hat placed you in Slytherin," Annie remarked, spearing her potatoes and dipping them in melted butter.

Jemma shrugged as she helped herself to some steak. "I was hoping for Gryffindor. That was my cousin's House when he was here," she told her.

"What's your cousin's name?" Annie asked curiously.

Jemma paled, brain going into overdrive, before coming up with an idea. "James. My cousin's name is James," she answered, thinking that using Harry's middle name wouldn't reveal too much. Annie nodded and went back to eating.

In between bites, Jemma looked around the Great Hall. The ghosts were floating about and chatting with some of the students, others spooking them, and a few just floating there, listlessly staring. Jemma saw Snape's ghost floating in a corner of the hall, a simpering scowl on his face. He caught Jemma staring at him and his scowl turned nastier.

Feeling self-conscious, Jemma went back to her meal only to feel a tap on her shoulder. " _Gah_!" the young witch yelped when she turned and saw Tanya Amethyst sporting a goose's bill. Tanya let out a honk and made it disappear.

"That's it? No laugh?"

Jemma blinked at Tanya, not sure what to do, when the apparent Metamorphmagus grinned. "You looked like you needed some cheering up," she said simply, brushing her choppy magenta bangs away from her face.

Jemma, realizing that Tanya was trying to make her smile, laughed a bit. "You looked funny as a goose," she admitted.

"Thanks!" Tanya shook Jemma's hand. Pretty soon, the two of them along with Annie were talking. And, little by little, Jemma forgot her disappointment. Annie and Tanya seemed really nice, so perhaps not all the Slytherins were that bad...

"So, Jemma... I overheard you and Annie talking earlier... And, you said you had a cousin in Gryffindor?" Tanya inquired, piling her plate with pasta.

"Yeah. What about you? Got any relatives in Slytherin?" Jemma looked curiously at her.

Tanya called Opal Reynolds over. With small stature, chocolate brown bob cut hair and pale green eyes, Opal seemed a bit timid. But when Tanya introduced her to Jemma and Annie as her best friend, she proved to be bold and soon joined the trio in conversing. "What are your families like?" she asked inquisitively at one point.

Annie was quick to reply. "Like any family, I suppose. My mum's a witch and works at the Daily Prophet. Dad's a travel agent," she told Opal, then, turned to Jemma. "What about you, Jemma? What jobs do your family have?" she asked.

Jemma blushed and mumbled something unintelligible. "What was that, Jem? Didn't catch it..." Tanya tilted her head curiously.

Looking down at her plate, Jemma said, "My dad works in an office and my mum's a housewife, while my brother plays rugby at his university. They're all Muggles." And braced herself for the backlash.

But, instead of sneering at her, Tanya and Opal began bombarding her with questions about Muggle technology. Annie helped her answer them and, frankly, Jemma thought that Opal and Tanya's reactions were amusing as well as surprising. For a second, she thought they wouldn't want to be her friends once they knew she was Muggleborn!

"So these Muggle films are like the moving pictures we have here, except they're longer and have _sound_?" Tanya asked, violet eyes wide in amazement.

"Yup. Hey, maybe during the summer, we can go to the movie theatres so I can show you!" Annie suggested.

"That would be so wicked! What movie are we going to see?" Opal looked excitedly at Annie.

"Well I think the new _Star Wars_ is coming out," Annie mused.

That prompted Opal and Tanya to ask her about Star Wars. Seeing that the three of them were immersed in discussion about the Jedi, Darth Vader, the Empire, and the Force, Jemma excused herself and left the Slytherin table. For a moment, she hesitated, then, steeled herself and walked over to the Gryffindor table, ignoring the whispers coming from the other Houses.

Cassie narrowed her eyes at her. "What are _you_ doing here, _snake_?" she demanded.

Most of the Gryffindors looked at her with a mix of confusion, wariness, and shock. Vincent and Ginny were the only ones not giving Jemma the evil eye. Swallowing her pride, Jemma looked Ginny in the eye. "I don't mean to disturb any of you, but can I please speak with Ginny Weasley?" she asked politely. Before Cassie could retort, the witch in question stood up and smiled.

Leading Ginny to a corner at the far end of the Great Hall, Jemma faced her. "Ginny, I really don't know what happened. I-I wanted to be in Gryffindor, but the Sorting Hat put me in Slytherin. I'm... I'm sorry," she blurted out, looking thoroughly ashamed.

Ginny blinked at Harry's cousin, stunned, before smiling reassuringly. "Jem, there's nothing wrong with being a Slytherin. And, besides, it's only the start-of-term feast. Just because you got Sorted there, it doesn't automatically make you evil," she told her. Jemma nodded, but still looked unsure.

Ginny knew what was on her mind. "You don't want to tell Harry just yet," she stated. Jemma sheepishly nodded. Smiling, Ginny placed a hand on Jemma's shoulder. "Write about the good things you'll experience here at Hogwarts and omit your House name if you want, Jem. I won't tell Harry either unless you want me to. But... you do realize that you're going to have to tell him the truth sooner or later, right?" she asked the Phoenix Soul gently.

"I know..." Jemma sighed, before seeing the savory dishes disappear from the plates and replaced with the puddings.

With a nod to Ginny, who ruffled her hair, Jemma went back to the Slytherin table and had her fill of sweets. Between bites of cake, she decided to check out the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables. To her surprise, she caught sight of Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence leaving their tables, whispering secretively to each other... and walking towards the Slytherins' table. Eyes followed them until they stood in front of Jemma, who gave them all a quizzical look.

Vincent's face was tinted a light pink as he talked. "I... um... just want you to know that... Well, _we,_ really... we hope..." he mumbled, before taking a deep breath.

"Yes?" Jemma cocked her head to the side.

Wendy and Lawrence took this as their cue to slightly nudge Vincent to get him to continue.

"The three of us hope we can still be your friends even though we're not in the same Houses," Vincent said and looked hopefully at Jemma, who looked a bit confused.

"Let's not let the old rivalries keep us from being friends, Jem," Wendy smiled at her.

"Yeah. And, to be honest, there's no point in being at each other's throats all because of House placement..." Lawrence mumbled, seeing some of the Slytherins watching the three of them.

After letting the trio's words sink in, Jemma smiled a bit. "I-I still want to be friends with you three, too..." she said shyly.

Wendy, Lawrence, and Vincent grinned and were just about to head back to their respective House tables when some of the older Slytherin started whispering.

"A Hufflepuff, a Ravenclaw, and a _Gryffindor_ want to be friends with one of us?"

"That's something you don't see everyday..."

"Hey, isn't that brunette over there the son of Bernardo Aurelius?"

"The famous wizard jeweler? That's his son?"

"My mum bought some of her best earrings from them! They're one of the richest families both in the Wizarding World and in the Muggle world..."

"I didn't know their son was attending Hogwarts. I thought they would enroll him in Beauxbatons or some other fancy Wizarding academy..."

Jemma saw Vincent blush fiercely and quickly walked back to the Gryffindor table. Wendy and Lawrence looked at each other and shrugged, before heading back to their own tables. Annie, Opal, and Tanya all looked at Jemma curiously. "We met in Diagon Alley," the youngest Dursley said simply.

* * *

Soon, the desserts vanished and the students were escorted to their dormitories. Jemma, sleepy from all she had eaten, plodded along with the other tuckered out First Years down to the dungeons. A blonde girl wearing a Prefect badge strode to the front of the group and turned around, hands folded across her chest.

"My name is Alice Winthforth, Sixth Year, and Prefect for Slytherin House along with Lionus Xavier. That's him over there."

Alice gestured to a sandy-brown haired boy leaning against the wall in front of them.

"Right, then. This is the entrance to the Slytherin common room. To get in, you'll need to know the password. It changes every two weeks so always check the notice board before you head to class, otherwise you'll be stuck outside the dorms until another Slytherin passes by. With me so far?"

"Yes..." Jemma and a few of the still slightly awake First Years mumbled out.

Alice nodded and turned to Lionus. "Okay, Li', let's get them inside," she told him.

Lionus faced the wall he'd been leaning on and uttered, " _Snakeling_."

Jemma's eyes widened as the wall moved away, revealing a passageway lit by small torches. The students all went in and came into a large dungeon-like chamber lit by greenish lamps. Through the windows, the students could see that the Slytherin common room extended partway into the school lake. Sleepiness momentarily forgotten, several First Years rushed to the windows to look out at the underwater view.

Jemma was among those who didn't and, instead, looked around the common room. Grand the place was, but it felt cold to her with all the skulls and snakes carved into most of the dark wood furniture. She could see a tapestry depicting the feats of medieval Slytherins and a number of low backed black and dark green sofas near the blazing fireplace.

Before they escorted the new arrivals to their respective dormitories, Alice and Lionus gathered them around in a circle.

"Alice and I aren't going to lie to you, but most of the three Houses are already prejudiced about us. Tomorrow, if anyone tries to pick on you, ignore it. If anyone picks on another member of this House, defend them. Most think that being a Slytherin is all about being cunning and dark. Well, they're wrong. We may be cunning at times, but we are also loyal to one another and protect our own. Never forget that," Lionus told them seriously.

Several of those who grew up in the magical world nodded gravely, Tanya and Opal included. Annie and Jemma glanced at each other, before nodding as well, and held each other's hand. They would look after each other, they silently promised.

"One more thing you need to know. Sometimes, you may encounter a certain ghost in this dungeon. He usually hangs about at the school's boathouse or the Potions classroom, but he comes here from time to time," Alice added just as a ghost walked through the now closed passageway into the common room. Alice gulped and waved a hand in its direction. "And that is Professor Severus Snape, whom I was talking about just earlier! Good evening, Professor!" she said as cheerfully as possible.

Snape nodded curtly and looked at the First Years, most of them visibly cowed into silence. "I expect you all to observe proper behavior in your classes. If I hear any news of a Slytherin engaging in acts of misconduct, I will see to it personally that they will be punished appropriately. Do I make myself clear?" he asked them in a reproachful tone.

"Yes, sir..." the First Years replied, all looking nervous.

"He can do that? Isn't he a ghost?" Jemma whispered to Harold Cadance.

"Snape's the old Head of Slytherin. It makes sense that he still has a degree of authority even though, technically, he's no longer a professor... or alive, for that matter," Harold shrugged. He was a semi-short youth with shoulder length brown hair and hazel eyes that shone in the common room's dim firelight.

Jemma turned her attention from Harold to Snape. For all he was worth, Snape as a ghost seemed just as intimidating as when he'd been alive...

 _Eight-year-old Jemma Dursley merrily skipped through the halls of Hogwarts, greeting any passing ghost or any portrait that she saw. She rounded a corner only to bump into a tall man wearing black robes._

"Watch where you're going, imp."

 _Startled, Jemma looked up and found herself staring at the hook-nosed face of Professor Severus Snape, Head of Slytherin House, Potions Master of Hogwarts... and her cousin Harry's least favorite teacher._

"S-Sorry, Professor Snape, sir..." _Jemma stammered._

 _Snape arched an eyebrow at her._ "You're Potter's cousin, aren't you?" _he asked. Jemma nodded slowly and silently moved aside to let the professor pass. Snape didn't say another word and left, his robes billowing. As Jemma stared at his retreating back, she noticed something about the cape he wore._

"Odd... it's split in the middle like a snake's forked tongue..." _she mused to herself before going on her way..._

"Eyes forward, Miss Dursley, or have you already developed a talent for dozing off on your feet?"

Jemma snapped back to reality and realized that Snape was looking at her coldly while the rest of the House muffled their snickers. She must have had a dazed look on her face because Alice was giving her a reprimanding look. Blushing, Jemma looked down at her shoes and didn't say anything. Lionus chose this moment to begin ushering the boys to their dormitory while Alice led the girls to theirs.

Jemma glanced at Snape once more and he arched an eyebrow at her, much like last time.

"Goodnight, sir..." Jemma mumbled before heading to the dormitories where five four-poster beds with emerald green drapes awaited them. All of the girls luggage had been brought up and Jemma was relieved to see that Otulissa was safe in her cage and had already been fed.

By now, the girls were too tired to say goodnight and quickly got dressed for bed. When the lights went out, they were all quick to fall asleep.

Jemma, however, kept waking up every few hours, having dreamt of being cast out by her new friends and seeing Harry's disappointed face upon discovering she'd been put in Slytherin. Every time she felt herself being pulled out of her dream and back into the waking world, Jemma prayed that she would wake up in Gryffindor tower.

Every time she did wake up, Jemma found herself staring at the emerald green curtains of her bed and knew that no amount of wishful prayer could change what had already happened.

She was in Slytherin.

* * *

 **I am so SO sorry this took so long. First semester of my sophomore year in college has been insane and I've been catching up on all of my requirements. It's been quite stressful these past few weeks, to be honest... what with most of my countrymen displeased by a court ruling to give a dictator a hero's burial and the results of the National Elections in the US...**

 **Anyway, read and review whenever and whatever you want. Take care!**

 **-GuardianDragon98 :)**


	12. 12: So Far So Good

**Well, first semester of sophomore year is over. Now I'm free to write!**

 **In reply to the Guest reviewer who keeps saying he/she doesn't like this story, I can only offer one piece of advice: If you don't like, then, don't read. I do, however, try my hardest to write better and take into consideration my reviewers' comments. That being said, constructive criticism is preferable. But, if you really don't like what I write, it's better to ignore this story if it's not to your taste.**

 **Now that we've got that done, on with the story!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 12: So Far So Good**

The morning was a chilly one when Jemma woke up, groggy and feeling far from refreshed. Last night's Sorting had made her a nervous wreck and she could still feel the leaden weight in her stomach as she dressed. She did, however, look at herself in the mirror and found her black and green Slytherin robes to be quite fetching. The colors suited her skin tone and her hair was done up in an elegant braid.

 _I just need to blend in,_ thought Jemma as she put on her tie. _Today won't be so bad. I mean, it's the first day of class. Nothing bad will happen._

Once she was dressed, Jemma joined Annie, Opal, and Tanya for breakfast at the Great Hall. It was a speedy meal because they had to head to their Transfiguration class with the Ravenclaws. A smile appeared on Jemma's face when she saw Lawrence take the seat next to hers. Lawrence grinned at her as Professor McGonagall entered the room.

After transforming her desk into a pony that galloped around the classroom before turning it back to normal, McGonagall began to discuss the several fine points of Transfiguration. Looking around, Jemma could see the Ravenclaws diligently copying every important thing she said. Edward Quentin muttered a curse under his breath when he accidentally spilled some ink onto his parchment while Gloria Knowlen scribbled so furiously that, from where she sat behind her, Jemma couldn't see her quill at all.

Lawrence was the only one among them not taking down notes. He sat there, his arms folded across his desk, with a blank expression on his face. Jemma wrote a few things down from McGonagall's discussion as well as the notes on the blackboard. Later, they were each given a pebble that they had to turn into a button. Jemma carefully tapped her wand against her pebble a few times, managing to make her pebble take the shape of a button before seeing Lawrence struggling with his pebble which, instead of a button, was now a grey beetle.

"How'd you do that?" Jemma asked amazed, helping her friend catch the beetle before it scuttled off. "I got a bit carried away. Plus, I wasn't really listening earlier to the instructions," Lawrence admitted, now prodding his beetle with his wand to turn it back into a pebble so he could start over.

By the end of the lesson, Davis Millard and Topaz Ritchart were the only ones successful in completely transfiguring their pebbles into buttons. McGonagall congratulated them and showed the class how perfectly shaped the buttons were with the right amount of holes to loop thread through.

Lawrence's pebble was still a beetle by the time they were let out and he had decided to keep it until the spell wore off. "Won't McGonagall notice?" Jemma asked as the beetle crawled up onto Lawrence's shoulder. "I doubt it. Besides, it's just one pebble," Lawrence shrugged before the Ravenclaws and Slytherins broke off to head to their separate classes.

"Whatcha' naming it, Lawrence?" Edward Quentin, a ginger haired boy with a gap between his two front teeth playfully jabbed the boy. "Buttons, maybe. Or Pebble. Something that sticks to his original state, I guess," was the last thing Jemma heard from Lawrence before she headed down another corridor to get to her next class.

At the end of the day, she was relieved to have not gotten into any trouble or drawn too much attention to herself. She saw Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence during breaks and, to her happiness, the friendship they had formed at the train held and seemed to be getting stronger.

* * *

As the week passed, Jemma found herself unable to stay gloomy. The self-disappointment was still there, but her classes kept it at bay along with the fact that Lawrence and Wendy were her classmates for most of them. She had yet to have a class with Vincent, but they often passed by each other in the hallways and stopped to chat.

* * *

At Herbology, Jemma's station was directly across Wendy's and the two girls could easily compare notes while Professor Sprout showed them and all the others different kinds of plants and fungi.

"I've always loved Herbology. We had greenhouses like this back in Ilvermorny. Our professor was a member of a Native American tribe and he knew all about the magical properties of all kinds of plants living on his tribe's land," said Wendy that first Wednesday at Jemma's second period. "Cool. What kind of plants did you study?" Jemma asked, jumping back as a Spiky Bush shot its spikes at her. "Loads. But I think the plants here in Britain are far more interesting," Wendy replied before pointing her wand at her Spiky Bush with a fierce expression on her face.

" _Incendio_!"

The triplets Jerome, Joan, and Jason Hammonds watched in awe as Wendy's Spiky Bush not only incinerated hers but theirs as well.

Jemma gave Wendy an amazed look. She was a Hufflepuff, all right, but Wendy was fierce when she wanted to be.

* * *

During Charms, Jemma watched with great delight as Professor Flitwick took out a tin of cupcakes and made them dance across his desk. All the students who tried to snap one up for a snack found the cupcakes dancing out of their reach and onto their heads. "We get to be a little more creative here than Transfiguration. So, come on, pick an object you d like to see do the tango!" Professor Flitwick encouraged them.

With a little help from Topaz Ritchart, Jemma folded an origami figure of a dog and had it prance around the desk she shared with her. "Nice. How about this?" Topaz, a girl with rich, honey blonde curls, made an origami tiger and had it leap about and even roar! "I think yours beats mine," Jemma laughed, watching their origami animals chase each other.

* * *

Wednesday night, they studied the moon, stars, and planets under the guidance of Professor Sinistra. The next day, students caught up on sleep as Professor Binns droned on about goblin rebellions and mixed up names.

 _Why won't they replace this old prof? He's already dead now to begin with and he keeps putting us all to sleep!_ Jemma thought, trying very hard not to doze off, as she took down notes.

* * *

Then, Friday morning, Jemma awoke and entered the Slytherin common room only to find Annie and the rest of the First Years looking worriedly at each other. "We've got Defense Against the Dark Arts _and_ Potions with the Gryffindors..." Annie mumbled, her face slightly pale. Jemma felt that sinking feeling she'd felt when she was first Sorted come back again. Two classes with Vincent, who was a great guy and, then, there was Cassie Devon, who clearly did not like her...

"Just ignore them when they start picking on you. And, above all, _no cursing or hexing_ during your Defense lessons or we'll be losing more than just points," Lionus reminded them as they left for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson.

Harold Cadance grimaced as he left the common room with the other Slytherin First Years. "Like our dignity, I'll bet..." he muttered under his breath. It seemed that none of them were looking forward to class with Gryffindor. As for Jemma, she just felt lost.

* * *

The Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was Professor Lucas Waldmunt. He was a stoic-faced man in his mid 30s with cropped brown hair and caramel coloured eyes that hid a warm glow. Seated at the front row, next to Vincent, Jemma eagerly listened as the professor told them of how he worked in various magical creature reserves in Greece before he decided to take a breather in England, where he discovered the desire to give teaching a try. This was his second year as Hogwarts Defense teacher, he stated, as he took the register and remarked that he was incredibly relieved he hadn't been sacked yet. "Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers here in Hogwarts have a reputation of not lasting an entire year," Professor Waldmunt chuckled. He, then, wrote down the names of some charms, spells, and enchantments on the blackboard:

 _Avada Kedavra_

 _Colloportus_

 _Crucio_

 _Deprimo_

 _Imperio_

 _Incendio_

 _Wingardium Leviosa_

"Right, then, who can tell me which of these are bad?" Professor Waldmunt asked. A lot of hands shot up into the air, Jemma's included. "Miss Devon," the teacher called out, the Gryffindor smiling confidently.

"Sir, the bad ones are the three Unforgivable Curses - _Avada Kedavra, Crucio, Imperio_ , Cassie answered.

Professor Waldmunt nodded, but said, "Good, Ms. Devon, but that answer isn't quite complete." Making Cassie blink in surprise and a few other students look at each other in confusion. "Anyone here want to give the names of the other bad spells in this list?" the professor asked.

Vincent raised his hand and, in a quiet voice, said, " _Wingardium Leviosa_?" looking slightly unsure.

"But that just makes objects levitate!" Timothy Moran protested.

"True, Mr. Moran, but if you were to levitate an object and drop it on somebody's head, what would happen?" asked Professor Waldmunt. Jemma briefly remembered a story Harry told her about Ron taking down a mountain troll with its own club using _Wingardium Leviosa_ back in their First Year.

"They would get hurt..." Timothy mumbled. "Correct. Just a few more bad spells to identify. Anyone else?" Professor Waldmunt asked.

Jemma looked at the spells listed on the blackboard, thought about her answer for a few seconds, then raised her hand. "Ms. Dursley," Waldmunt called her.

"Sir, I... I think all of the spells listed on the board are bad," Jemma said, the classroom buzzing at her statement. "And why is that, Ms. Dursley?" Professor Waldmunt asked her, looking curious prompting Jemma to stand up. "Because each spell listed can be considered a bad spell... if the one who casts it has the intention to harm somebody else," Jemma answered readily.

For a moment, no one said anything. Cassie seemed to think Jemma's idea was ridiculous and smirked as the young girl's confidence began to crumble, while Vincent looked at Jemma worriedly. Just as Jemma was about to sink back into her seat and not utter another word for the rest of the day, Professor Waldmunt smiled. "Well done. Five points to Slytherin," he declared.

The Gryffindors were shocked while the Slytherins were amazed.

Seeing the students reactions, Professor Waldmunt chuckled and erased the written spells. "As your Defense teacher, it's my job to not only teach you how to defend yourselves, but to also make sure you do not abuse your magic. Out there, you all have a choice how to use spells, spells like the ones I wrote down earlier, according to your own intentions," he told them. The students nodded, getting what their teacher was saying.

Professor Waldmunt's face became grave as he, then, said, " _A spell will only be considered part of the Dark Arts if it's used with a malicious intent._ That's something I want each of you to never forget in this class."

The rest of the Defense lesson was spent on doing defensive spells and ended with the professor giving them homework in the form of an essay about, minus the three Unforgivable Curses, how the previously listed spells could be used both ways as beneficial and harmful magic.

On the way to the dungeons, Jemma received a few compliments from her fellow Slytherins. "I never thought of it that way, you know? _Aguamenti_ and all those other spells could be used for the wrong purpose..." Harold said to her when they entered the Potions classroom. Jemma shrugged. "The three Unforgivables are obvious bad spells. But sometimes even the Levitation Charm can be harmful. If you wanted to kill someone, you just have to levitate them high enough then drop them," she said just as Cassie passed by.

"I suppose _you'll_ be planning on doing that once you're out of here," muttered the Gryffindor, knocking Jemma's notebooks out of her arms.

Jemma picked up and gripped her notebooks more tightly, glaring daggers at Cassie's back."Don't listen to her. She just doesn't like Slytherins that much..." Vincent mumbled quietly to her as they took their seats.

"Cassie's parents are both Gryffindors. Her prejudice against the House of Slytherin runs in the family," Alexander Stuvar, an ash blond boy with a slight Swedish accent, said to them. Upon seeing Jemma's curious look, he added, "She told me during the feast. We talk a lot about family at the Gryffindor table."

"So do we at Slytherin," Jemma replied as Professor Slughorn called the class to attention.

"Now Potions may not involve much wand-waving, but it is a very important branch of learning in the magical arts. Much like Muggle doctors searching for new ways to produce medicine, those with experience in Potions making are vital to creating cures for any magical malady or common diseases. Therefore, in this class, we will have room to experiment. Of course, that is only to be done after we master the basics."

With these words, Professor Slughorn broke the class into pairs and tasked them all to create a cure for boils. At this point, an uninvited guest arrived in the classroom to make snippy remarks about the students' progress.

Slughorn wasn't amused. "Severus, you are no longer a teacher," he said bluntly.

"I am aware of that, Horace. However, perhaps, it would do your pupils good to have their progress monitored by one also adept in your subject."

Jemma looked up from tipping crushed snake fangs into her and Annie's cauldron to see Professor Slughorn arguing with Professor Snape. The ghost and former Potions Master saw her looking and drifted over to their cauldron to inspect it. A moment or two later, Snape nodded his approval and went to criticize the Gryffindors.

"For a second there, I thought he was going to say we did something wrong..." Jemma sighed with relief. Annie added the horned slugs to their cauldron, whispering, "They say he _did_ favor his House more." Before hearing cries of alarm. Mia and Cassie's potion had exploded in their faces, covering them with painful boils.

"I _told_ you to add the quills _after_ we took the cauldron off!" Cassie yelled at Mia Pollins as boils sprouted on her face. Mia Pollins, a small, green-eyed girl with curly brown hair bowed her head in shame, her curls obscuring her boil-infested forehead. Snape sneered at Cassie who dragged Mia with her over to Slughorn's table to get the boils taken care of. The rest of the Gryffindors winced as Slughorn took care of Cassie and Mia's boils, scolding the former of the two for yelling at her partner.

Meanwhile, Opal and Harold's potion started bubbling all over their desk. Quickly, Jemma and Annie pulled them back before the potion splashed onto them. " _Scourgify_!" With a wave of her wand, Jemma cleaned their workspace.

"Whoops... I stirred counterclockwise..." Harold muttered, remembering, checking the recipe. Opal merely sighed and asked Professor Slughorn for more ingredients. Jemma and Annie went back to brewing their potion, which they managed to brew correctly at the end of the class. Slughorn was most impressed by theirs as well as Vincent and Alexander's.

Snape didn't say anything, but Jemma swore that, when she performed the Scouring Charm earlier on Opal and Harold's mess, he seemed quite impressed...

* * *

 ** _Dear Harry,_**

 ** _So far so good. My first week at Hogwarts has been well. I visited Hagrid with Ginny and Luna this Friday so we could catch up. Hagrid gave us bath buns and I swear some of them were as big as my fist! Seraphine was with us, too, and I fed most of them to her. She didn't like them that much. She stays in the Forbidden Forest most of the time, but she does go to the Owlery every now and then. Otulissa is doing fine as well. I talk with her and Seraphine at the Owlery sometimes during break._**

 ** _My Phoenix Soul abilities have been calm. So far, I haven't set anything on fire, transformed into a phoenix by accident, or gotten into any trouble with Filch. I do, however, use the Marauders Map to find the quickest way to get to my classes and sneak into the kitchens for sweets (Please don't tell Mum)._**

 ** _I've made a lot of friends in school. I mostly hang out with Annie, Opal, and Tanya since we re in the same House, but I have classes with Wendy, Lawrence, and Vincent and we all have fun (And, no, Harry, Vincent - the boy we met at Ollivander's - is NOT my boyfriend!)._**

 ** _Lessons are going great (although I wish Professor Minerva would ease up on giving us homework) and the Defense teacher, Professor Waldmunt, is brilliant. I did pretty well in Potions, too. Even Snape seemed impressed during our first lesson. Yeah, he's still there but he's a ghost. But it doesn't stop him from gliding into the classroom to criticize us._**

 ** _Well, I better go finish my homework. We'll be having flying lessons soon and I hope I'll do well enough so Madame Hooch would let me try out for the Quidditch team. Love you lots and, please, take care during your Auror training and stay safe! Oh, and say Hello! to Hermione and Ron for me!_**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Jemma_**

* * *

Reading his cousin's letter, Harry smiled. It made him happy to hear from Jemma that she was enjoying her time at Hogwarts. Then, his eyebrows furrowed as he looked over the reports sent to him by the Ministry's field Aurors. More attacks by rogue Death Eaters had been had happened in the countryside and were slowly moving into towns. In light of these events, the trainees were now called on to assist in the investigations.

Packing his Invisibility Cloak into his rucksack, Harry pocketed Jemma's letter inside his jacket pocket, making a mental note to write back to her when he came home.

And not once did it cross his mind that Jemma never even mentioned which House she'd been Sorted into...

* * *

 **Phew! Finished! I'm so sorry, again, that this took so long. Laziness is my number one enemy in writing.**

 **Next chapter will focus on Flying Lessons with Madame Hooch, Cassie's growing dislike for Jemma, and more interactions between Slytherin and the other Houses. Read and review in the meantime! Love you!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	13. 13: Between a Rock and a Hard Place

**Another chapter! Just in time for Christmas, enjoy :)**

 **I'll admit that this isn't exactly the chapter you lot were hoping for. And, for that deception, I deeply apologize. This is more of a filler chapter, setting up things for the bigger events. Plus, I wanted more interaction between Jemma and some familiar faces.**

 **As for the chapter regarding more major developments in Jemma's time in Hogwarts, that chapter's already being written. In the meantime, hope this satisfies for now.**

 **And I might just write a holiday-inspired one-shot to accompany this story that might give a glimpse of a future chapter.**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER!**

* * *

 **Chapter 13: Between a Rock and a Hard Place**

During her second week at Hogwarts, Otulissa delivered a packet to Jemma which she opened... only to find the worst thing imaginable.

"Oh, no... No, you have to be kidding me. Why, Mum, _why_?"

Annie glanced at Jemma at the table that morning and noticed the bunch of papers clutched in her hand. There were various math problems and equations printed on it. Raising an eyebrow, Annie noticed the letter.

 _ **Jemma,**_

 _ **I know you may be studying magic now, but I still want you to keep up with the rest of your peers. I'll be sending you these worksheets once a week. You can ask for help, but I want you to answer the problems yourself. Don't try to get someone to do them for you, I'll recognize unfamiliar handwriting. And I'll tell Harry to check in on you from time to time to make sure you're doing them.**_

 _ **Take care, sweetheart.**_

 _ **Love,**_

 _ **Mum**_

"Who's Harry, Jemma?" Annie asked, prompting her friend to suddenly shove the letter into her bag along with the math worksheets.

"Uh... um... a friend of my Mum's..." Jemma mumbled, not wanting to discuss. She thanked her lucky stars that Annie shrugged and went back to eating her breakfast.

Jemma sighed with relief and took out one of her worksheets. Might as well try to get one done, she thought before she saw Wendy coming over to the Slytherin table. "Morning!" Wendy smiled and took a vacant spot. The Slytherins looked at her like she'd gone mad. "What? There's nothing in the school rules that says students from other Houses can't sit together during regular meals," Wendy shrugged and smiled at Jemma. "Pass the milk, please, will you?" she asked politely.

Smiling, Jemma did as she was asked and attacked her waffles with a fork in one hand, a pencil in the other while answering her math worksheet.

At the Gryffindor table, Vincent watched Wendy and Jemma chat and eat, before spotting Lawrence at the Ravenclaw table immersed in discussion with Luna. "Wonder what they're talking about..." he mumbled, then, left the Gryffindor table to join the two Ravenclaws in talking about Nargles and Wrackspurts. So immersed were these four in their own thoughts and conversations that they did not notice all the other students watching them, their faces showing surprise at the change.

* * *

That was just the beginning of the breaking down of old barriers. Jemma, Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence - these four friends from different Houses - soon started having meals together. Sitting at any of the four House tables during breakfast, lunch, and dinner, they'd eat and talk. Jokes would be shared, last minute homework revisions would be done, and the four of them just enjoyed each other's company before they went off to class.

Jemma soon settled into rhythm with her Hogwarts school days. Her letters to Harry, while still withholding information about her House, spoke of the typical stuff happening at Hogwarts. And she, Ginny, and Luna always met up at Hagrid's during Friday afternoons. With Fang slobbering at their feet, they'd sit and chat (and politely refused most of Hagrid's teatime treats) about their week so far.

Hagrid, while surprised at Jemma's Sorting results, remained in good spirits. "Slytherin's fallen on hard times, Jem. But I'd imagine ye'd be the one to pull 'em right out of that tight spot they'd landed themselves in," he winked at the youngest Dursley.

"I dunno, Hagrid. If I can't face Harry, finding a way to change everyone's perception of Slytherin's not going to be easy..." said Jemma uncertainly, sipping her tea.

Luna tilted up her head. "Sometimes admitting where you're from can be the hardest thing to ever do. But what's really the hardest is deciding when to admit it before somebody finds out the wrong way," she said nodded.

"She's right, Jem. I know you're not ready to tell Harry which House you've been placed in. But you can't keep this a secret forever. Sooner or later, Harry will know," she added.

Jemma sighed, slouching in the massive chair she sat in, and mumbled, "I know... I'm just... I'm just so afraid of what his reaction will be..." prompting Hagrid to gently pat a large hand on her back.

"Now, listen here, Jem. There's no reason to be frightened of what Harry'll say. Your cousin, he'd understand. Why, in fact, I doubt he'll be angry at ye just for not making Gryffindor. Harry loves ye!" Hagrid told her. Recalling the moment Harry saw her off on her first day, Jemma perked up.

Maybe it would be okay to tell Harry... when she was ready.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside of Hogwarts, Harry, Ron, and all the other trainee Aurors were knee-deep in investigation. A Muggle family living in the countryside had been attacked by Death Eaters a few days ago and they'd been looking for any possible leads.

The only thing found was a message burnt into the wood in the same room where the bodies been left in after the murder.

 _ **The Dark will live and the Light will die.**_


	14. 14: Never Trust an Old Broom

**Well, here's the next chapter everyone. Enjoy!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. ALL RIGHTS GO TO J.K. ROWLING**

* * *

 **Chapter 14: Never Trust an Old Broom**

As the term went on, Cassie's dislike for Jemma grew stronger. Within the first few weeks, the Gryffindor had started a one-sided rivalry with the Slytherin ranging from outdoing each other in all of their classes to just finding all kinds of ways to annoy her. Fortunately, Jemma didn't rise to the bait and was content to just focus on studying for herself. She had no desire to prove herself and that just seemed to make Cassie despise her even more.

But what was really getting on Cassie's nerves was Jemma's sweet tempered nature itself. If she didn't know any better, the Slytherin belonged in Hufflepuff and was kind to the other Houses. No haughtiness, no cruel remarks towards Muggleborns or anyone, and no amount of suspicious looks sent her way seemed to faze her. After she, Vincent, and two other students from both Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw started having meals together in the Great Hall, several others began to do the same. The barriers separating Gryffindor, Slytherin, Hufflepuff, and Ravenclaw from one another were slowly being torn down.

But, despite the visible changes, deep down, Jemma felt hurt whenever students from the other Houses looked at her as if they expected her to stab them in the back at any moment. Still, she bore all of it in silence. Surprisingly, she found herself confiding all her worries in not just Seraphine and Otulissa, but Snape as well.

* * *

It all started when Cassie decided to bully Annie during Potions, while Slughorn stepped out for a while, calling her names like ' _snake bile_ ' and _'little Death Eater.'_ Poor Annie looked ready to burst into tears when Jemma decided to step in. "What is your problem?! She's not even _doing_ anything to you!" the youngest Dursley angrily asked Cassie.

"That's what you think!" Cassie snapped back. The others looked back and forth between the two, too nervous to step up and intervene, while the girls argued.

"If this is because Annie's a Slytherin, you're acting like an immature child! Cassie, this has to stop," Jemma sighed, exasperated, and assisted Tanya in comforting Annie.

Cassie's coal black eyes narrowed and she took out her wand just as Jemma turned her back on her. Vincent saw this and, quickly, took his out and shouted, " _Expelliarmus_!" Cassie's wand flying into his hand.

"Traitor!" Cassie shrieked, but Vincent gave her a disgusted look.

"The war's over, Cassie. We Gryffindors don't have to keep fighting with the Slytherins and vice versa. _Grow up_ ," said Vincent, effectively shutting Cassie up, and all the students quickly went back to their seats when Slughorn returned. From across the room, Jemma caught Vincent's eye and gave him a grateful smile.

Class ended in time for break but, instead of joining her friends outside, Jemma volunteered to stay behind and clean the room. Slughorn was surprised at this, but let her do it. So Jemma went to work, polishing all the jars and vials in the classroom. As she did this, she remembered how Vincent had stood up for her and smiled, a faint blush appearing on her cheeks. Throughout their few weeks at Hogwarts, Vincent had always been quite shy so him stepping up to defend her was something new. Compared to Lawrence and Wendy, he was the quiet one among Jemma's three friends. He didn't say much about his time in Gryffindor, but Vincent often told her that he felt like "a lamb in the lion's den" which was something Jemma could relate to. She felt out of place in her House, too...

"You recover quickly for someone who almost got attacked."

Jemma startled, accidentally dropping a beaker she'd been polishing. Whirling around, she saw Snape watching her from behind a row of desks. "You were listening?" the Phoenix Soul asked as she hunted for a broom to clean up the mess.

Snape nodded and glided over to some of the shelves to inspect how Jemma cleaned them. "I have to say... You are nothing like your cousin, Ms. Dursley," he remarked.

"Sir, if you're going to insult Harry, please do it while I'm not around," Jemma rolled her eyes at him.

"Hmmm... Seems I was mistaken," Snape sighed and Jemma carried on cleaning.

When she was done, Jemma began to leave when Snape spoke up. "Keep that temper of yours quiet, Ms. Dursley. But... it would be wise to seek help if things get out of hand."

Looking over her shoulder, Jemma replied, "I'll remember that, Professor." Before leaving the classroom.

That was a few weeks before one of the Slytherin First Years' flying lessons and, up until now, Jemma and Snape had fostered an unlikely sort of friendship. They would talk about Slughorn's Potions lesson, Jemma would ask about the subject's finer points and Snape, in a rare show of kindness, would offer her advice on how to make more effective brews.

The day before a flying lesson, Snape offered only one piece of advice. "Never trust an old broom, Ms. Dursley," he said.

Jemma guessed that he was trying to say, "Be careful."

* * *

"Good afternoon, class!"

"Good afternoon, Madame Hooch!"

Jemma's hands were itching to pick up the broom in front of her. She fantasized soaring through the air, doing loop-de-loops to the envy of her friends, before Opal nudged her and reminded her to listen. Cheeks slightly red, Jemma looked at the Hufflepuffs lined parallel to the Slytherins. Wendy looked slightly nervous and was fiddling with the pink carnation in her hair.

Sharp hawk eyes glittered as Madame Hooch said briskly, "Well, come on, then! No dawdling about. Everyone stand on the left side of your broomstick and say 'Up!'"

"Up!" Jemma said loudly and her broom went up to her waiting hand. She noticed that it was quite old, and the twigs were all twisted up in all directions.

 _Never trust an old broom..._

Remembering Snape's advice, Jemma approached Madame Hooch while all the others were still trying to get their brooms off the ground and asked if anyone had used the broom currently in her possession. "Ms. Devon of Gryffindor used that yesterday's lesson, Ms. Dursley. Is there a problem?" Madame Hooch asked. Jemma quickly shook her head and carefully handled the broom as she went back in line. She didn't want Madame Hooch to think she suspected Cassie of jinxing the broom she was about to use. That would be too paranoid of her.

"Up! Up, please, UP!" shouted Wendy, growing more frustrated, as her broom uselessly flopped on the ground. "Oh, for the love of..." she picked her broom up off the ground herself, not caring for any of her fellow Hufflepuffs' stares.

Once they mounted their broomsticks and had their grips adjusted, the students took off at Madame Hooch's whistle. Jemma had the biggest grin on her face as she and zipped from one end of the practice field to the other. _This_ was where she felt most free. She flew up a bit higher than the rest, despite Madame Hooch's instructions not to fly for more than four feet in the air, and even did a few spins.

"Okay, Jem, now, you're just showing off," Opal laughed.

"Sorry. I can't help it," Jemma said sheepishly.

"You make it look so easy..." Annie said, sighing enviously.

Jemma smiled slightly before seeing Wendy having trouble. No matter how much she spurred it on, Wendy found her broom flying at a butterfly's pace compared to the others. "I suck at this..." Wendy groaned as Jemma flew to her side.

"Maybe you just need to relax. My cousin tells me that riding a broom's mostly based on being in the moment, letting everything go except for flying," Jemma told her.

Wendy visibly loosened up and her broom began to go faster. "I was hopeless at flying back in Ilvermorny. My parents told me it was due to my lack of patience..." she admitted as they flew about. Jemma was about to say something to that when, suddenly, her broom gave a violent jerk.

 _Well, that's not good,_ Jemma thought before her broom sharply turned, flying towards a tower wall!

"JEM!"

Wendy's terrified shriek was the last thing Jemma heard before she hit the side of her head on the hard stone and blacked out.

* * *

When she came to, Jemma found herself in a bed surrounded by Annie, Lawrence, Opal, Tanya, Topaz, and Vincent.

Annie sighed, "She's awake..." with relief while Opal, Tanya, and Topaz called for Madam Pomfrey.

Vincent and Lawrence, faces pale, anxiously watched as Jemma fully regained consciousness. "Never should have trusted that old broom..." Jemma moaned, recalling Snape's advice, and sat up with a bit of help. "What happened?" she asked, carefully touching the bandage wrapped around her head.

"Well, after you hit your head, you... you started to fall sideways off the broom. And, then, Wendy managed to catch you and bring you back down to the ground. She and Madame Hooch brought you here..." Annie said haltingly, still looking quite distressed.

Jemma nodded before noticing that her flower-toting friend was nowhere to be found. "Guys, where's Wendy?" she asked the boys worriedly.

Lawrence and Vincent looked at each other worriedly. "Uh... she's in detention..." Vincent mumbled, Jemma's eyes widening.

"Why?" was all Jemma managed to get out before Madam Pomfrey came in and herded her friends out of the wing.

* * *

It wasn't until she was released the next day did Jemma find out that, after bringing her to the Hospital Wing, Wendy had gone after Cassie. She had accused the Gryffindor of jinxing the broom Jemma had used, then, physically attacked her. Of course, there was no absolute way of pinning the blame on Cassie because, according to her, the broom in question had tried to buck her off during the Gryffindors lesson with the Ravenclaws yesterday. That didn't stop Wendy from going berserk and landing a few punches, resulting in a full-out scuffle that sent both girls to Madam Pomfrey, bruised, while Jemma had been unconscious. In the end, the cause of the broom's misbehavior was due to its usage that had rendered it prone to malfunctions. Madame Hooch, finally, forwarded the suggestion of replacing all of the school brooms with new ones and was relieved when the Headmistress allowed it.

Once she was out of the Hospital Wing, Jemma looked for Wendy and found her in the library doing homework. She winced at the sight of her Hufflepuff friend's black eye and whispered, "You know you didn't have to attack Cassie for me..."

"She's been a bitch to you and your House ever since the school year started. It was high time she got her comeuppance," replied Wendy before blushing and adding, "Don't tell anyone I said ' _bitch_.'" To which Jemma pinky swore not to.

* * *

As soon as the new brooms had arrived, Quidditch tryouts began. Jemma practically dove into the sea of eager Slytherins when the sign-up sheet was posted in the common room and came out, breathless and giddy at having signed up. Once all the slots had been filled out, Madame Hooch organized the tryouts for each House along with the team captains. The Slytherin team tryouts were held on the first week of October, Tuesday afternoon, under a cloudy sky under the supervision of Madame Hooch and Lionus Xavier, the team captain.

It was here that Jemma marveled at how she'd been in Hogwarts already for a month and still hadn't told Harry the truth. Ginny had been helpful, giving vague answers to her own letters to Harry, making sure that her boyfriend wouldn't know until Jemma was ready.

But, for now, Jemma concentrated on only one thing: getting into the Quidditch team.

"All right, you lot. First thing I wanna see is how well you can stay on your brooms. Mount up and fly a couple rounds the pitch!" Lionus ordered, taking to the skies on his own broom.

There were at least 50 hopeful Quidditch players present at the tryouts and, by the end of the first trial which was basic flying, the number had been whittled down to half. Now the trials for the various positions could begin. For Jemma, she and the other promising Seekers had to chase after a model Golden Snitch controlled by Madame Hooch. This was to test their agility and capability of making sharp turns when the model took an unexpected turn. She did pretty well, impressing Lionus so much that he began to consider breaking tradition and letting girls into the team. Each House had to do two tryouts to really distinguish who were the best qualified for their team. The next tryouts were held a week later and, in the end, Jemma had gotten the much-coveted position as Seeker for the Slytherin team.

"Second youngest Seeker in the century..." Madame Hooch had murmured in amusement as she saw Lionus congratulate Jemma for making the team.

Jemma was on cloud nine when she told Vincent, Lawrence, and Wendy the news. Wendy had tried out for her House team and was made a Beater. Vincent, like Jemma, was also the Seeker for his House team.

"Let's make a pact that we'll play fair against each other... even though I'll do my best to win," Jemma suggested, a playful smirk on her face.

Vincent smirked back and saluted. "So will I," he grinned.

"And as for me, I'll try not to knock the Bludgers in either of your direction. Oh, I'm looking forward to knocking other players off their brooms, though..." Wendy giggled, a mischievous gleam in her eye.

"And I'll be cheering all three of your teams on," Lawrence promised.

The four of them went to Hagrid's house, where they celebrated with rock cakes that nearly broke their teeth.

* * *

 **Posted in time for New Year.**

 **Now, a moment of silence in respect towards Carrie Fisher - an actress who played one of the greatest female heroes of all time. Rest in peace, Ms. Fisher or, as many Star Wars fan know her - Princess Leia.**

 **The next chapter won't be so happy, I'm afraid, for Jemma. Rather, she's going to be in a lot of emotional stress. I'll leave it to you to figure out the cause.**

 **In the meantime, read and review!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	15. 15: Truth and Consequence

**Hi, again, I'm sorry this took so long to post. I've been busy getting into BBC's Sherlock, reading, and doing my schoolwork for second semester of my sophomore year in college.**

 **This chapter... is hopefully... going to help in exposing Jemma's main flaws and fears. Enjoy!**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! ALL RIGHTS GO TO J.K. ROWLING AND WARNER BROS.**

* * *

 **Chapter 15: Truth and Consequence**

If there was one moment in her short life where she had felt true, total, panic, Jemma would have to say: " _First writing lesson in primary school._ " Where she'd been forced to sit in a right-handed person's chair and write using her right hand. Even after she'd told her teacher that she was left-handed, Jemma still had to use her right. And, to make sure she would, the teacher had taped her other hand to the side of her chair.

She felt completely helpless, frantically wriggling her left hand under the tape, as she struggled to make her handwriting legible enough using her right hand. "This is how everyone does it, Jemma. This is the right way to do it," her teacher said to her, which did nothing to mollify a panicking four-year-old.

Naturally, her parents were furious and threatened to sue the school when they found out. Jemma got her own left-handed chair and was allowed to write with her left hand after that. But that writing lesson left an impression on her that she would always associate with the feeling of true panic.

Then, in mid-October, Otulissa delivered her a letter.

 _ **Jem,**_

 _ **It's always great to hear from you. Your letters always cheer me up, especially after a day of intense training.**_

 _ **I'm so happy to hear that you're doing well there at Hogwarts. To be honest, I was worried how you would adjust to a new school. Hermione and Ron, however, told me not to fret about it and it looks like they were right (they say "Hi.", by the way). Ginny and Luna have been writing to me about you, too, and they always say that you're doing well and I'm glad for that.**_

 _ **Now, this was supposed to be a surprise, but I can't help myself: I'll be going to Hogwarts on Halloween to help teach Defense Against the Dark Arts! After Dumbledore's Army, I didn't expect to be asked to teach again. But Professor McGonagall and Professor Waldmunt have asked to come help with a lecture. I can't tell you what the lesson will be about, though. That's the one surprise I'm keeping a surprise. I just hope this Halloween won't end in disaster... I've had loads of unlucky experiences on that particular day of the year and I don't want to ruin it for you.**_

 _ **All that aside, I'm looking forward to seeing you. Maybe you can introduce me to some of your friends and, perhaps, we can go flying? I heard from Ginny that you made the Quidditch team as the new Seeker. I'm so proud of you! Maybe, after your day's done, we can fly a couple rounds the pitch to help you get ready for your first game. Hopefully, I can watch your first match when it happens.**_

 _ **Until then, keep it up, Jem! I'll see you soon. Love you.**_

 _ **From,**_

 _ **Harry**_

Reading the words on the paper, Jemma felt the same kind of panic she'd felt back in primary school and quickly fled from the Great Hall. Once she was in the safety of the empty Slytherin common room, Jemma paced in front of the fireplace, running her hands through her dark hair. "Lord, I'm doomed! How am I going to explain this to Harry? I'm not ready... I am not ready for this..." she muttered.

The flames crackling in the fireplace reacted to Jemma's high strung emotions and burned out of control. It was only when the emerald carpets caught fire did Jemma stop pacing to undo the damage she'd inadvertently done. Sighing, Jemma sat in front of the fire and pondered on what to do.

She could pretend she was ill... No, Madam Pomfrey could discern a feigned illness in the blink of an eye.

She could _make_ herself ill... No, Harry would worry and visit her in the infirmary.

Hiding sounds like a good option... No, Harry would use the Marauder's Map to find her.

Running away... No, she wouldn't get too far.

All sorts of ideas tumbled around in Jemma's brain, each one more useless than the other, until she gave up and flopped down on the singed rugs in defeat. "I'm done for..." she moaned, shutting her eyes. On Halloween, she was going to have to attend Defense Against the Dark Arts class, see Harry, and he would find out the truth -that she was a Slytherin, _not_ a Gryffindor - and he would be disappointed in her, and never want to speak to her again.

"Now, what's got _you_... in such a twist... Ms. Dursley?"

Jemma opened her eyes and found Professor Snape's sallow face just inches from hers. Mouth opening and closing in shock, Jemma regarded him for a few moments before spitting it out. "Harry's coming here to help teach Defense on Halloween, I still haven't told him I'm a Slytherin so, once he comes here and sees me, he's going to hate me and never want to speak to me ever again."

Snape listened, then, floated away from Jemma as she sat up, and settled near the window overlooking the lake bottom. After a few minutes of silence, he said, "Then, tell him."

Jemma looked at him over her shoulder, confused. "Tell him the truth. Write to him, saying that you're in Slytherin," Snape clarified.

"He'll hate me," Jemma protested weakly.

Snape let out a noise that closely resembled a chuckle. "That is what cowards say when they do not want to tell the truth. Fear of rejection by the ones they love..." he remarked before turning around and floating over to Jemma until he was, once again, mere inches from her face. "Is revealing the truth more terrifying... than the consequences that will follow... after it has been kept in the dark, Ms. Dursley?" he asked softly. Jemma absolutely had no idea what to say in reply to the old Potions Master's ghost's question and chewed her lip.

"Tell Mr. Potter the truth before it is too late, Ms. Dursley. Honestly, the world isn't going to end when you do," Snape drawled before phasing through the wall.

Jemma stood and went up to the girls dormitory. Lying down on her bed, Jemma thought long and hard about Snape's words. He was right, she knew. So what if Harry was going to be disappointed when he found out? It's not like Lord Voldemort was going to rise again!

Still... what will happen after she tells him the truth?

Jemma opened her trunk, took out a sheet of parchment, an ordinary pen, and also her Chocolate Frog card of Harry. "Would you hate me, Harry?" she whispered before noticing that picture Harry wasn't even there. The cards did that sometimes and she wasn't surprised. Sighing, the youngest Dursley knelt in front of her now closed trunk and began to write slowly and carefully:

 _ **Dear Harry,**_

 _ **I was honestly surprised when I read your letter. I thought your schedule was packed due to Auror training. Still, it'll be great to see you so I can tell you in person about everything I've been up to.**_

 _ **That being said, I'm just going to write this here... I'm in Slytherin.**_

 _ **Yeah, I know. Horrifying, isn't it? I couldn't believe it either and I spent my first night in Hogwarts dreading what the rest of the school year was going to be like for me. If you're angry or disappointed in me, it's okay.**_

 _ **But you know... life as a Slytherin isn't so bad. I've made friends in the House who are genuinely nice people. If you'll let me, I'll introduce you to them. Tanya's a Metamorphmagus like Teddy and she's really funny. Annie, she's a year younger than me and very sweet. And everyone else, the Prefects and older students, aren't that bad at all.**_

 _ **Ginny and Luna have been helping me keep all of this a secret from you. Please don't get angry at them. I asked them not to let you know that I'm in Slytherin until I was ready to tell you the truth. Again, I am so sorry.**_

 _ **After finding out that you're coming here on Halloween, I'll admit it - I'm terrified of what's going to happen. But I've decided to accept whatever's coming to me. Thank Professor Snape for that. He's the one who convinced me to tell you the truth already before you found out about it in the wrong way.**_

 _ **See you soon, Harry. And again, I'm sorry. I wanted to be in Gryffindor, but the Hat put me in Slytherin.**_

 _ **Why?**_

 _ **I honestly don't know.**_

 _ **Sincerely apologizing,**_

 _ **Jemma**_

* * *

During one of her breaks, Jemma slipped off to the owlery. ' _What's got you so worried, Jemma?_ ' Seraphine asked her while she and Otulissa watched their young friend anxiously pace about with the letter clutched tightly in her hands.

Otulissa cocked her head to one side and preened her feathers. ' _Tight grip on envelope, pacing... Oh, dear, it's a letter of bad news, isn't it, miss?_ ' hooted the owl softly inside Jemma's head.

' _It depends on how Harry will react,_ ' Jemma replied to both birds, gave Otulissa the letter, and sent her off.

Seraphine flew down from her perch and gently nudged her friend's face, pleased when Jemma sighed upon feeling the warm touch of her feathers. ' _Finally going to tell him which House you're in?_ ' she asked Jemma.

' _He's coming here on Halloween, Ser'. I might as well before he gets here,_ ' Jemma shrugged and looked out the owlery's window and sighed. ' _I just hope he forgives me..._ '

Seraphine gave her an affectionate peck on the cheek. ' _Chin up, Jem. Harry won't be mad. I doubt that you being a Slytherin will change things between you and him._ '

When Jemma looked at her uncertainly, Seraphine flapped her wings and lifted off the ground. ' _How about we go for a quick flight before your next class?_ ' she suggested. Giving the phoenix a slight smile, Jemma closed her eyes and transformed. Together, she and Seraphine soared out of the owlery and into the open air. At least here, in the sky, she could forget for a while that come Halloween, she would have to be honest with Harry.

* * *

For the rest of the days leading up to Halloween, not a single letter came from Harry. And that made Jemma fear the worst as the dreaded 31st of October loomed even closer. She _really_ wasn't looking forward to seeing Harry disappointed/angry with her when he came back to Hogwarts. Her friends had noticed, as the days went by, that she became more quiet than usual and melancholic. Nothing they did seemed to snap Jemma out of it. Then come Halloween...

"I'm not going to class today."

"Why? Feeling sick?"

"No, I just don't feel like going."

"Come on, Jem, don't be lazy."

"Too late, already am."

Annie huffed, hands on her hips, as she looked at her friend who was currently lying in bed with the blanket completely covering her form. Then she got an idea and, with a cunning Slytherin-esque smile, she left Jemma in bed. The Phoenix Soul let out a relieved sigh, glad to be left in peace. But, suddenly, she felt the bedcovers she was currently burrowed under bunch up and, the next thing she knew, she was being lifted out of bed and carried like a rolled up carpet!

"Unhand me this instant, you mewling quims!" shrieked Jemma, her demands muffled by the blankets.

"Now, now, Jem, no need to go all angry Shakespeare on us," Opal chided her as she, Annie, Tanya, and Topaz carried their bundled friend to the showers.

"Besides, you _can't_ miss today's Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson! _Harry Potter_ is coming to help teach!" exclaimed Annie, looking like a giddy schoolgirl.

A muffled groan was Jemma's response.

"I can't believe Professor Waldmunt only told us _yesterday_! What do you think they'll be teaching?" asked Topaz as they deposited Jemma inside the bathroom.

"Don't know, but it'll be worth putting up with the Gryffindors today to just see him," Tanya answered before the four of them looked to Jemma expectantly.

Seeing that resistance was futile, Jemma caved. "Let me shower in peace and I'll head to class today," she requested. Her four friends nodded, all grinning, and let her be.

' _This is going to be a long day..._ ' Jemma thought miserably as she went to have her shower.

* * *

Everybody was staring at him and, frankly, Harry felt a little more than nervous. This wasn't like the days he taught his classmates in Dumbledore's Army. He was going to assist in teaching First Years, which was a _huge_ responsibility. The last thing he wanted was to do or say something that would have a negative effect on such impressionable young minds. To add to the pressure, the first class had Gryffindor and Slytherin together. Who knew how high tensions were going to run...

Hagrid, Ginny, Luna, McGonagall and the other teachers had gladly welcomed him while the other students could only gape as Professor Waldmunt escorted him to the classroom. All chatter ceased once the two of them stepped inside. "All right, we've got a special lesson for all of you today. To assist me is Mr. Harry Potter, a current trainee at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement," Waldmunt said, gesturing to Harry with a kind smile. Harry looked to the students, all of them looking at him, and shyly waved hello.

"It's really him..."

"Of course it's him. Look at the scar, it's right there!"

"I kind of pictured him to be... taller..."

Jemma heard the excited whispers as she hid behind some of the taller students. She knew that Vincent was at the very front, watching his idol's very move, and she hoped he would do well. Up to the day before, she and him along with Lawrence and Wendy had studied extensively for Defense so they would be ready for today, Vincent the most eager to impress Harry. Peeping through the throng, she saw Harry help Professor Waldmunt move an old battered trunk out into the center of the room. The students eagerly gathered around as Harry addressed them.

"Right... Today, we'll be learning about the Boggart-Vanishing Spell also known as _Riddikulus_. Now..." patting the trunk, which was rattling like mad, Harry instructed the class. "We have a Boggart in here and, once all of you have perfected the incantation, you'll all get a chance to use the spell once we let it out," He said, glad he hadn't blundered yet, before nodding to Professor Waldmunt.

"That is, indeed, the plan, Mr. Potter. But, first and foremost, can anybody tell us what a Boggart is?" the Defense professor asked. Vincent's hand shot up into the air. "Mr. Aurelius?" Professor Waldmunt called him.

"A Boggart is an... um... an... an amortal shapeshifter that can take the form of a person's worst fears. Its true form has never been documented due to the fact that it always immediately assumes the appearance of the worst fear of anyone who encounters it. It also prefers habitats of dark, confined spaces which... quite fits its... uh... fearful nature..." the Gryffindor answered haltingly.

Harry smiled, impressed, while Professor Waldmunt nodded. "A well-researched answer, Mr. Aurelius. Five points to Gryffindor."

Vincent grinned hugely, proud to have given the correct answer.

"No wands first, we'll say the incantation. Now, I want all of you to repeat after me: _Riddikulus!"_

" _Riddikulus!_ "

"Again!"

" _Riddikulus!_ "

"Excellent!" said Professor Waldmunt before nodding to Harry to continue.

"To repel a Boggart, you need to say the incantation while, and this is extremely important, thinking about something funny. The thing that will stop a Boggart is laughter," Harry added that one last piece of information. "Also a Boggart can only assume one form at a time. With all of you here, it will be confused. I'm counting on whoever's last to finish it off. Is that clear?"

Seeing the students nod excitedly, Professor Waldmunt turned to Harry. "Now, Mr. Potter, perhaps _you_ would like to demonstrate?" he inquired.

Harry felt sweat bead on his forehead as he searched the crowd for a certain dark-haired, brown-eyed girl wearing a Slytherin tie, before deciding that he would not risk traumatizing the class. "Um, Sir, there's... something you need to know about my Boggart..." he said hesitantly before leaning in and whispering something into the professor's ear.

Eyes widening, Professor Waldmunt looked at Harry curiously before nodding gravely. "Yes... I understand that your Boggart might be _too_ terrifying for our students to see. I understand, Mr. Potter," said Professor Waldmunt, then, stood before the locked trunk.

"I thought we'd get to see _Harry Potter_ do magic..." Cassie muttered in disappointment.

"And see the Boggart turn into You-Know-Who? Who knows how many will get scared?" Miranda retorted.

Jemma cautiously peered behind Harold to find Harry standing next to the trunk, wand at the ready. At the professor's signal, he flicked his wand at the trunk and it opened.

And climbing out of it was a...

"A manticore..." Jemma breathed out in amazement. How the Boggart managed to climb out of such a small trunk in the form of a hulking part-man, part-lion, part-scorpion beast defied explanation; but it was there, snarling and angrily swishing its stinger-clad tail at Professor Waldmunt. " _Riddikulus!"_ shouted the professor, pointing his wand, and the manticore let out a tiny mew and shrunk until it was nothing more than a kitten dressed in a tiny manticore costume.

Harry let out a chuckle while the rest of the students laughed, although most of the girls went, "Awww!" at the sight.

Jemma, still avoiding Harry, tried to remain stationary but she got shoved about as the students took on the Boggart one-by-one. She saw quite a few terrifying things from Annie's vampire to Timothy Moran's headless nun. Vincent's Boggart, however, surprised her by turning into a hippogriff - which the boy stared at in terror for a few seconds - before he bellowed, " _Riddikulus!_ " and it turned into a chicken. It clucked and ran about on its spindly legs before it caught Jemma's eye.

 _Damn_.

That was the only coherent thing Jemma could think of before there was a loud ' _crack!_ ' and everyone screamed as a gigantic winged serpent loomed over them, its fangs poised and ready to strike. But, no, that wasn't the worst thing. For, right beneath the monster's coiled body... was Harry.

Jemma felt her blood run cold as she stared, unable to move, at her cousin's mutilated corpse. Harry's glasses were broken, still perched on his nose, his fringe slightly swept out of his face so the scar could be seen. His green eyes stared glassily up at nothing and his clothes were soaked in blood - the source of it being the two large puncture wounds on his chest. No doubt about it... the snake had been the one to give the fatal bite.

Meanwhile, the real Harry tried to get through the crowd of Gryffindor and Slytherin First Years, frantic to reach Jemma, but the students were in a panic and all of them were surging towards him and the professor - the only two adults in the room - in a desperate attempt to hide behind them.

"Ms. Dursley! The spell! Say the spell!" Professor Waldmunt's voice cut through the screams and Jemma snapped out of her fear-induced daze. She looked at the Boggart and let out a scream that only made it rear its head back and hiss at her.

With a shaking hand, Jemma pointed her wand at the Boggart and screamed, " _Riddikulus!_ "

 _CRACK!_

In front of her stood her father, enormous face an atrocious shade of purple, and shouting abuse at her such as, "You are not my daughter, _freak_!" while wielding a heavy leather belt in his hands.

"No! No! _Riddikulus_!" Jemma cried out, already having a breakdown, and slashed at the air with her wand.

 _CRACK!_

Only then did the class calm and look on, silent and pale, as the Boggart turned into... _Harry Potter._

The real Harry was just about to move when that happened. Eyes wide, Harry looked from the Boggart to Jemma, who appeared as if she was about to cry. A dry sob left Jemma's lips as she looked at her Boggart who had now taken the form of her cousin looking at her with a disapproving scowl before she couldn't bear the sight of it any longer.

Dropping her wand on the floor, Jemma turned and ran out of the classroom, ignoring Professor Waldmunt's shouts of, "Ms. Dursley!" and Harry's frantic voice calling out, "Jem!" before she felt herself turn into a phoenix. Not caring if anyone saw her, Jemma just flew and flew until she was out of the castle and headed straight for the Forbidden Forest...

* * *

 **Well, there it is. You now know what Jemma's Boggart looks like. Given all that's happened ever since she found out that she was magical, the Boggart would definitely assume more than one form in front of her.**

 **Now, if you paid close attention, one of Jemma's lines when her friends get her out of bed is a tribute to MCU's Loki played by Tom Hiddleston (who is one of the many British actors I adore) :D**

 **Again, I deeply apologize for having taken so long to post this new chapter and if the Defense lesson seems rushed. It's getting hard to find time to elaborate more on the finer points of this story.**

 **That being said, due to being back in school, it's going to take me even more time to churn out more chapters. But, really, I'll do my best to keep improving.**

 **Until the next chapter. Read and review - constructive criticism is preferable!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	16. 16: Sharing Secrets

**Okay, I've been off the grid since February and for most of this month of March. For that, I sincerely apologize. But, I'm sure you guys understand. My studies in college are my current top priority right now.**

 **Well, I'm back! Let's get on with the story, then, shall we?**

 **Will Jemma be okay in the Forbidden Forest?**

 **Will Harry find her?**

 **Will all be forgiven?**

 **Will Jemma's friends discover just how incredible the youngest Dursley is?**

 **Read to find out!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 16: Sharing Secrets**

As soon as Jemma ran out of the room, Professor Waldmunt stepped in front of her Boggart. Boggart-Harry scowled at the Defense teacher before morphing into a manticore once more. " _Riddikulus_!" bellowed Waldmunt, turning the beast into a costume-clad kitten, and banished the Boggart back into the trunk. Once the class had been calmed down, he turned to Harry who was silently pleading with him.

"Go do what you need to do, Mr. Potter," Professor Waldmunt nodded to him. Grateful, Harry nodded his thanks and left the classroom.

Vincent watched Harry leave, then, noticed that Jemma's wand was still on the floor. He picked it up and glanced at his classmates who were all whispering to each other.

"I thought a Boggart's only supposed to take the form of a person's worst fear," Timothy Moran whispered to Alexander Stuvar, puzzled.

"Well, I guess that means a person can have more than one worst fear. But Jemma's Boggart... the forms it took were terrifying, except for the last one," Alexander remarked, looking thoughtful.

For once, Cassie didn't have anything cruel to say about Jemma. Rather, she looked... worried? Vincent gave her a quizzical look. Cassie blushed and turned away from him to talk with Mia Pollins.

Annie, Opal, Tanya, and Topaz were whispering to each other worriedly.

"Poor Jemma..." Annie said softly, her eyes sad.

"That Boggart really freaked her out..." Opal murmured.

"That man with the belt... That was Jem's dad, wasn't it? You don't think she's abused, do you?" Tanya asked, eyes wide and hair turning white as milk in accordance with her fear.

"I hope not. When that Boggart called her a freak... Her dad's a magic-hating Muggle, I'll bet," Topaz said grimly.

As the rest of the class continued to chatter, Vincent eyed the open DADA classroom door. He just needed to wait for his chance...

A few moments after calming the class down, Professor turned around to write something on the old blackboard and Vincent Aurelius slipped out of the room.

* * *

Harry ran through the corridors, frantically asking the portraits and ghosts if they'd seen Jemma. While none of them had seen the young girl, it was Peeves _(carrying armfuls of dung bombs)_ who reported the sighting of a phoenix flying down the corridors before heading straight for the Forbidden Forest. Just as he'd climbed down the stairs to the castle's ground floor, a voice shouting, "Mr. Potter! Mr. Potter!" forced Harry to turn around. Vincent Aurelius leaped down the last few steps and ran up to Harry, breathless, and holding Jemma's wand. "I want to help you look for Jem... That is... if you'll let me..." the Gryffindor panted.

Harry blinked a couple times at him before nodding. When they reached the entrance to the Forest, he looked at Vincent. "You snuck out of class, didn't you?" he asked the boy, who turned pale. Vincent looked down at his shoes, ashamed.

Smiling slightly, Harry nudged him. "Just this once. I'll stick up for you if Professor Waldmunt asks where you've been," he told him. Vincent looked up at him, surprised, before grinning. The sunlight filtered through the tree branches as the two of them went into the forest.

* * *

Jemma had flown to a clearing where Buckbeak was resting. In a flash of flames, Jemma the Phoenix was now Jemma the Human. Sinking to the ground, she began to cry. The Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson had been a complete fiasco. Not only had she seen what her greatest fears were, she'd humiliated herself in front of all the Gryffindors and her fellow Slytherins! But what really drove the spike of pain into Jemma's heart... was her Boggart's final form.

It had looked so much like Harry that she'd forgotten that it wasn't real. But, still, the look of disgust on its face reminded Jemma of what she had feared her cousin's reaction would be when he saw that she was a Slytherin.

Jemma sniffled when she felt one of Buckbeak's wings drape over her. The hippogriff had come to the weeping girl and settled near her. "Th-thanks, B-Buckbeak," Jemma hiccupped, leaning against the hippogriff's warm side.

Buckbeak let out a small chirrup and lightly rested his feathered head against Jemma's. ' _Now, why are you here all by yourself and crying in the Forest, Ms. Jemma?_ ' he asked.

Jemma, sniffling, wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. _'Harry came to school today to help teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. We were learning about the Boggart. And my Boggart turned into the winged snake I keep seeing in my dreams, then, it turned into Dad threatening to belt me like he did once, and... and, finally, it turned into Harry hating me...'_ she managed to think before she started crying again.

Buckbeak gently nuzzled Jemma, lightly tousling her hair. _'Why would Harry hate you all of a sudden, Ms. Jemma? I saw you two at the Weasleys not too long ago and you were both happy,'_ he said worriedly.

"Because I'm a Slytherin! A _Slytherin_ , Buckbeak! I _never wanted_ to be Sorted into that House! I _didn't want_ to become a Gryffindor's rival! I _didn't want_ to disappoint Harry! I wanted to make him proud by being in the same House that _he_ had been in! Now, thanks to an old hat, I've botched up all of my chances!" Jemma exclaimed, startling some birds out of the trees.

Buckbeak remained silent both in and out of the youngest Dursley's mind, probably thinking of what to say next, when he and Jemma both heard Harry and Vincent. Eyes widening in panic, Jemma quickly whispered to Buckbeak, "Don't let them know I'm here!" before turning into a phoenix and flying up to hide in a nearby tree. Just when Jemma had concealed herself in the branches, Harry and Vincent arrived at the clearing.

"I heard her here just now..." Harry muttered to Vincent before seeing a familiar hippogriff. "Oh, hello, Buckbeak."

At the sight of Buckbeak, Vincent stopped dead in his tracks, blinked a couple times, before walking five steps back, his tangle with his Boggart still fresh in his mind. Harry, on the other hand, looked glad and relieved to see Buckbeak again. He bowed low, patient, and Buckbeak returned the gesture. Slowly, Harry approached him and gently stroked his feathers. Buckbeak closed his eyes, dipping his head down, liking it. "It's great to see you again, Buckbeak," Harry murmured and asked, "You haven't happened to see a phoenix flying by here, have you?"

At Harry's question, Buckbeak straightened up and trotted over to a nearby tree. To Harry's surprise, the hippogriff raised his front hooves and slammed it against the trunk! A loud screech made Harry and Vincent _(who was still standing far away from Buckbeak)_ , look up. High up, hidden between the closely-growing branches, they could see the magnificent scarlet and orange plumage of a phoenix.

"Thanks," Harry nodded to Buckbeak gratefully, then, called out, "Jem, I know you're hiding up there." making Vincent look at him, confused.

Up in the branches, Jemma looked down at the three figures on the forest floor. _Oh, great! Vincent's here! He's going to know the truth for sure!_ She thought with despair before Harry called out to her again.

"I know that what happened back there's got you all upset. But I need to tell you something, Jemma. Can you please come down?"

Couldn't she just stay up in this nice tree for the rest of her life? Living in the Forbidden Forest as a phoenix didn't sound like such a bad idea...

"Jem, I already knew. I already knew you got Sorted into Slytherin before I even got your letter."

Well, _that_ could have caused Jemma to fall right out of the tree. How could Harry have known before she sent him that letter, then?

Finally, Jemma conceded. She flew down the tree and, in a flash of flames, she stood before her cousin. Vincent, startled, screamed when his friend suddenly materialized out of phoenix fire while his eyes went big and round. "How did you know?" asked Jemma in a quiet voice, her eyes on Harry.

"I figured it out on my own after I noticed the pattern in your letters," Harry told her.

"Pattern?" Jemma repeated, eyebrows furrowing.

"You mentioned all of your friends Houses except yours. That told me that you didn't want me to know about it. Also..." Harry chuckled a little before continuing. "Andromeda was really the first one to suggest that you'd been placed in that particular House."

"Andromeda? Teddy's grandmother?" Jemma asked, surprised.

"She had a hunch you'd be Sorted into the House opposite of mine. And she was right," Harry replied. Jemma pressed her lips into a thin line and nodded slowly, taking all this in. Then, Harry went over to her, stooping down so he was at her eye level. "You remember what I told you before you got on the train?" he asked softly. Jemma shook her head. Harry brushed his younger cousin's long dark hair out of her eyes. "I said that, no matter what House you'd get Sorted into, I will always be proud of you. Being placed in Slytherin hasn't changed that, Jemma. In fact, I'm even prouder than before," he smiled at her.

"Really?" Jemma squeaked, her voice suddenly tight with tears.

"Really," Harry kissed the side of her head.

Overcome with emotion, Jemma flung her arms around her cousin, tears trickling down her face. Harry hugged Jemma and lifted her up, gently rubbing soothing circles on her back, and murmuring gentle nothings to calm her. Jemma stopped crying soon afterwards and mumbled, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner. I was so scared of how you would react..." feeling both guilty and silly.

"It's okay, Jem. But I don't want you bottling all of this insecurity inside of you anymore, okay? If you ever feel bad, you can always talk to me, got it?" Harry told her, looking Jemma in the eye.

"Got it," Jemma nodded, feeling better, and smiled brightly.

" _There's_ the Jem I know," Harry laughed, kissing Jemma's forehead and making her laugh as well.

While all of this was happening, Vincent was piecing all of the clues together. When he came to the final conclusion, he nearly fell over from the shock. Buckbeak seemed to think the boy was amusing and trotted over to him. "Ah!" Yelping, Vincent sprang back from the oncoming hippogriff and ran to the nearest tree. Jemma giggled at the sight of her friend trying to escape Buckbeak by climbing the tree. " _Help_! Please, help me!" Vincent shouted frantically, his robes getting ripped at the seams as he scrambled up the tree's trunk. Buckbeak cocked his head to the side in confusion and grabbed the ends of the boy's robes to try tugging him down. This just made Vincent scream and continue his efforts to get away in earnest.

"Buckbeak, come here!" Jemma called out sweetly and the hippogriff obeyed. The youngest Dursley giggled before gesturing to Harry to put her down. Chuckling, the Boy Who Lived bent his knees a bit so Jemma could go down. Petting Buckbeak, Jemma glanced at Vincent and saw that he was still clinging to the tree's trunk. "Why are you afraid of hippogriffs anyway?" she asked.

Vincent's face flushed beet-red. "I'll have you know that a hippogriff chased me around once when I was eight. It chased me around and, then... pushed me into a pile of its own dung..." he shuddered at the memory.

Harry winced in sympathy while Jemma cocked her head to the side. "Was it a fully-grown hippogriff like Buckbeak here?" the Slytherin gestured to Buckbeak, who was now nuzzling her cheek.

"No, it was a baby," Vincent mumbled, face reddening even more. At that answer, a laugh slipped out of Jemma. Although she quickly covered her mouth with her hand to keep more from escaping, it was too late to take that last one back. "It's not funny! I'll have you know that it was as big as Fang and I was sore for weeks afterward!" Vincent scowled at her.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." apologized Jemma. "It's just..." she took a breath to compose herself. "What exactly did you _do_ to make a baby hippogriff chase you around?"

"I tried to pull one of its feathers off..." Vincent admitted sheepishly.

"Well, no wonder it did what it did. At least you didn't insult it. You were pretty lucky. I know a bloke who got his arm scratched up pretty badly when he insulted Buckbeak during my Third Year," Harry remarked, going over to the tree and helped Vincent get down.

"That was Malfoy, wasn't it?" Jemma grinned.

"Same Malfoy whose trousers you pulled down during your holiday visit a few years back," Harry replied, smiling at her.

"You got to go to Hogwarts during Christmas before?" Vincent stared at Jemma, eyes wide with awe.

Jemma hummed an "Mm-hmm..." and Vincent carefully looked back and forth at her and Harry before asking the one question that had been bugging him.

"Are you two..." he pointed at them both. "... _related_?"

Now it was Jemma's turn to blush. "Yeah..." she answered, her gaze flicking over to Harry's.

"We're cousins," the raven-haired man added, smiling slightly. If Jemma hadn't told any of her friends about him, he could only imagine that their reactions might or might not be similar to the young Gryffindor next to a moment, Vincent didn't say anything. In fact, he looked ready to drop in a dead faint. Then, after a long moment, he let out a shaky breath. "O... kay... Okay... Yeah... Right..." he muttered, resting a hand against the tree he'd been trying to climb earlier, before swaying on his feet.

"Cousins... They're cousins... explains a lot..."

Harry went over to Jemma who, still petting Buckbeak, looked worried. "I think we broke him, Harry," Jemma said, her eyes not straying from Vincent, who was now mumbling under his breath like someone who'd gone mad.

"He's just in shock, Jem. He'll be fine," Harry patted her shoulder. Then he checked the time using an old, battered pocket watch he had in his coat pocket and frowned. "But we should get back to the castle. We might get into more trouble if we stay here any longer," he advised Jemma, who nodded.

Saying their goodbyes to Buckbeak, the two cousins both gripped Vincent's shoulders and, with him still mumbling incoherently, walked out of the Forbidden Forest. As they were walking past the Quidditch pitch, Vincent regained his senses and lightly elbowed Jemma! " _Cousins_! You and Harry Potter are cousins!" he exclaimed, his eyes agleam with admiration and excitement. Then, he looked at Jemma, looking hurt. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked in a near _broken_ tone.

Jemma sighed heavily. "I didn't think you'd believe me. Plus, if I did, I would have been swarmed by those fanatics and they'd start thinking that I'm the next ' _Chosen One_ ' or something," she looked at Harry. "No offense," she added quickly.

"None taken," Harry ruffled Jemma's hair, making her scowl up at him.

Vincent nodded slowly in understanding. Even he would have become a fanatic, he thought, if he had found out who Jemma was related to. He would have bombarded her with so many questions about Harry Potter, spooking her, and would have made her want to stay as far away from him as possible.

 _That letter to Mum and Dad will have to be carefully-written. I can't tell them otherwise they'll make a big deal out of it,_ Vincent mentally decided. Instead of telling his parents everything, like he usually did so they would know whom he was friends with and if they were good company for him, he'll have to censor most of the details of today's Defense Against the Dark Arts lesson. He didn't want his Mum and Dad trying to form a partnership with Harry if it meant damaging the friendship he had made with Jemma.

Looking at her, Vincent could definitely tell that Jemma and Harry were super close. The two cousins cheerfully chatted together, Jemma regaling Harry with tales of her accomplishments in classes, Harry recounting events from his previous training missions as an Auror-to-be. Vincent smiled, before his hand suddenly went to the pocket of his robes. Jemma's wand! He still had it!

"Um, Jem..." Vincent suddenly said when the three of them reached the castle.

"Yeah?" Jemma turned to him, doe brown eyes shining in all their glory.

Hoping that his palms hadn't gone all sweaty, Vincent pulled out an alder wand and presented it to her. "You dropped it in the classroom earlier when when you ran off..." he mumbled.

Jemma's face broke out into one big smile and she gratefully took her wand back. "Thanks, Vincent..." she said in a soft voice.

Vincent felt his cheeks go warm and shyly grinned back at her. By the time Jemma and Vincent got back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, the students had already left. Professor Waldmunt was tidying up when he saw the three come in.

"Ah, Ms. Dursley and Mr. Aurelius, I'm glad to see you both safe and sound," Waldmunt's relieved face then turned serious. "However, there's no denying that you two rushed off without warning. Especially you, Mr. Aurelius." He looked at Vincent sternly. "Sneaking out like that. Your friends were worried sick when they couldn't find you," he reprimanded the boy.

"Apologies, sir..." Vincent apologized, looking down at the floor.

"He snuck out to give Jemma back her wand, sir. He helped me look for her and didn't cause any trouble," Harry leapt to Vincent's defense.

"It's true, sir. If anyone deserves to be punished, it's me," Jemma nodded, looking remorseful.

Professor Waldmunt looked at the three faces, all pleading with him, and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Seeing that you're both all right and were in the company of an adult... Oh, fine, no detention."

Jemma and Vincent's faces lit up.

" _But_! I'll be taking 15 points each from your Houses. Running off to Merlin knows where is still an infraction of school rules. I trust that, after today, you two won't repeat this offense?" Professor Waldmunt gave both First Years a look.

"Yes, sir. We won't do it again, sir. We promise," to both of their surprise, Jemma and Vincent said the exact same words in unison. They both glanced at each other, blushed, then laughed. Harry and Professor Waldmunt looked at each other, matching amused expressions on their faces.

"Mr. Potter, if you would be so kind, please escort Ms. Dursley and Mr. Aurelius to their next class," Professor Waldmunt requested. With a nod, Harry led the two youngsters out.

* * *

Looking back at the Boggart now locked away in its trunk, Professor Waldmunt frowned. His manticore, a creature he feared above all else, was terrifying enough to make a child run screaming for their mother. But Ms. Dursley's... Her Boggart had taken three forms. Thinking about them now, the professor could understand all but one of the young girl's fears.

The large, purple-faced, man with a heavy leather belt who called her, his daughter, a freak... a magic-hating and, most worrying for him, possibly abusive father.

A scowling Harry Potter... fear in failing to meet her famous cousin's expectations, made reality through being Sorted into Slytherin.

The first form Jemma's Boggart had taken, however, was the one he couldn't figure out. Oh, yes, he could understand that one of Jemma's fears was losing her dear cousin...

But why specifically at the hands of a massive winged snake?

Professor Waldmunt sighed, putting the trunk away, and sat down at his desk to begin grading the homework the Fourth Years had submitted earlier. Every now and then, Ms. Dursley's profile would pop up, making him stop and wonder. He wasn't sure what it was exactly but there was something very special about the girl.

McGonagall had told him of Ms. Dursley and how she was related to Mr. Potter. Of course, he'd been thrilled to teach for another year at Hogwarts with the jinx the Dark Lord had placed on the position now null and void. The news of a relative of the famous wizard had excited him even more. But Minerva had been firm in her instructions to him and the rest of the staff. Jemma, while related to Harry, deserved to be treated like all the other students. If she broke the rules, she would have to face the consequences. No favoring her because of her connections to the Boy Who Lived. Besides, the attention she would have gotten if word ever got out to the rest of Hogwarts would undoubtedly made her feel uncomfortable. The young girl certainly didn't need to feel like she had certain expectations to fulfill.

But there was no denying the fact that the entire staff had expected Jemma Dursley to become a member of the House of Lions. When the Start of Term Feast had ended and all the students had been sent to their dormitories, the teachers had assembled in Minerva's office.

" _Slytherin_! Merlin's Beard, I certainly didn't see _that_ coming!" Professor Slughorn had exclaimed, looking amazed yet flabbergasted at the same time.

"Ah, I knew something like this was going to happen... My Inner Eye told me of the dear girl's beginning troubles not long ago..." Professor Trelawney airily proclaimed, earning dubious looks from her colleagues.

"Troubles? Oh, Sybill, don't go running up to the girl and start predicting her death the next time you see her. She'll never want to take Divination in Third Year if you do that..." Madam Pomfrey clucked her tongue in disapproval.

"She certainly didn't look happy at the Slytherin table. Poor child, she must have been hoping for Gryffindor when she sat down on the stool," Professor Sprout sighed.

Waldmunt hadn't said anything, but the fact that a relative of Gryffindor's recently most famous member was now in Slytherin, the House of Lions' most bitter rival, was certainly intriguing. He glanced at the Sorting Hat, sitting on its shelf and looking as scruffy as ever, and wondered if it had had its reasons. Had the decades of use taken a toll on its ability to place young wizards and witches in the appropriate House now?

"There's no changing the Sorting Hat's decision now. We will just have to see how Ms. Dursley will take it in stride," Professor McGonagall had told them. Then she sighed wistfully. "Although, I will be honest in saying that it would have been nice to have her. I remember when she first came here to Hogwarts. Such a sweet little girl..."

"Indeed."

All the teachers looked up to see the portrait of Albus Dumbledore smiling at them, painted eyes twinkling even after his death. "And I'm sure she was Sorted into Slytherin for a reason," the headmaster's portrait added.

"For what reason, Albus? I suppose her being a Slytherin would make her an ideal foil to her cousin, but why Slytherin of all the other three Houses?" Professor McGonagall had asked.

Sitting down at his desk, Professor Waldmunt paused from his homework grading. He could still remember Dumbledore's portrait's answer to the headmistress.

"Because, Minerva, Ms. Dursley may just be what Slytherin needs. Sometimes it is too soon that the students are Sorted. In Ms. Dursley's case, however, I believe that the Sorting Hat made the right choice. It is now up to Ms. Dursley herself on what to do as a Slytherin."

When he thought about all the times he'd seen Ms. Dursley interact with students from other Houses, Professor Waldmunt realized that the former headmaster was on to something...

If Jemma Dursley, with her kindness, could get the other Houses to accept Slytherins again... maybe there was hope for house unity within Hogwarts after all.

Then Ms. Dursley's winged snake popped up in Professor Waldmunt's head. He frowned, eyebrows furrowed. That Boggart's first form had rattled him. Never, in his years of getting up close and personal with fantastic beasts and creatures, had he seen something like that before. A beast like that wasn't an ordinary magical creature. There was something very dark about it... _evil_ , even. _Whatever that creature is... Whatever dark force comes from it... I will not let it touch my pupils,_ thought Lucas Waldmunt as he went back to grading essays about Kappas and Hinkypunks.

* * *

Harry chatted with his younger cousin and Vincent as they walked to Transfiguration together. Vincent, after getting over the initial shock of meeting his idol and discovering his friend's secret, was gushing with questions about Harry's Hogwarts years. He was, especially, eager to learn how the wizard had become the youngest Seeker for Gryffindor in a century. "Believe it or not, a Slytherin helped me," Harry told Vincent with a laugh.

"Malfoy?" Jemma asked, giggling when her cousin rolled his eyes and said, "Yup! Neville had broken his wrist so Madam Hooch took him to the hospital wing. Malfoy picked up his Remembral, then, tried to hide it in a tree. I broke the rules, got on my broom to get it back. Malfoy tossed it, I caught it in a steep dive, then Professor McGonagall saw me through her office window I thought I was going to get expelled for sure.

"Then when she asked Professor Quirrell if she could borrow Wood for a moment, I thought it was a cane she was going to use on me. I was terrified. But it turns out Wood was my Quidditch captain," Harry chuckled at the memory.

Both Vincent and Jemma laughed just as they reached their Transfiguration classroom. "It was... it was great to meet you, Mr. Potter," Vincent looked up at the man and grinned.

"Please, call me Harry. And it was great to meet you, too, Vincent," Harry smiled at the boy.

Still grinning, Vincent went inside the classroom, telling Jemma he'd save a seat next to him for her. Harry, then, looked at Jemma, a teasing smile on his face. "He's a keeper, Jem. Good luck to him, though, when it's Dudley's turn to meet him," he chuckled.

"Oh, hush, you," Jemma rolled her eyes at Harry and lightly swatted his arm. Then her smile fell. "I guess you'll be heading back to Auror training now?" she asked.

Harry ruffled his younger cousin's hair. "I'm not expected back at the Ministry until five in the afternoon. We can meet up later at Hagrid's hut. Ginny will be there, too," he told her.

Jemma's face lit up. "Can I bring my friends with me? I think it's time they met you for real," she asked hopefully.

"Sure," Harry grinned and gave Jemma a hug. "You'll like them," Jemma whispered before letting go.

With a last smile directed at her cousin, Jemma went inside to catch up with the latest Transfiguration lesson. Vincent smiled at her as she took the seat next to him. "You won't tell anyone about what you saw in the Forest?" Jemma whispered to him as they copied each other's notes. Vincent mimed zipping his lips shut, twisting an imaginary key into an imaginary lock, throwing the imaginary key away, and gave Jemma a thumbs up. "Thanks..." Jemma whispered gratefully to him. Then, seeing McGonagall glancing at the row they were seated in, shut up.

When Professor McGonagall turned around to write something on the ancient blackboard, Jemma wrote something on a small slip of parchment and passed it to Vincent as inconspicuously as possible. Vincent smoothed it out on his lap. It read:

 _ **Meeting Harry and Ginny at Hagrid's hut this afternoon. Thinking of inviting Wendy and Lawrence. Wanna come?**_

Vincent scribbled his reply at the back of the parchment and handed it back to Jemma.

 _ **Sure**_

* * *

When class was let out for the day, Jemma and Vincent rounded up their friends. Wendy, and Lawrence were both confused when they saw how excited the two were. But they went with them to Hagrid's hut. Outside was the gamekeeper himself, Ginny Weasley of Gryffindor, and...

" _Harry Potter_ ," Lawrence breathed out, the first to see the raven-haired Saviour of the Wizarding World, in awe. Wendy wrapped her Hufflepuff scarf around her mouth to keep herself from squealing. Jemma and Vincent exchanged amused looks.

Harry instantly got along with Wendy and Lawrence, chatting with the two of them as they helped Hagrid pick out pumpkins for tonight's Halloween feast. "I-is it true that you learned how to cast a Patronus at the age of 13? Wh-what form did it take, sir?" Wendy stuttered, quite star struck.

"A stag just like my dad's. And, really, just call me Harry, Wendy. Sir sounds too formal," said Harry, helping Ginny and Jemma levitate another one of Hagrid's prized pumpkins onto a cart.

"O-okay... Harry," Wendy stammered, then, giggled like a little girl.

Lawrence rolled his eyes good-naturedly at her. "He's like any chap out there, Wen'. No need to go all fangirl-ish," he teased her.

"You're one to talk, Lawry. I can see you writing down a list of questions right now," Wendy smirked, making the Ravenclaw blush, hiding his notepad behind his back.

"Lawry, don't make the interview too long. He's got to get back to Auror training at 5PM," Jemma jokingly reminded her friend.

"Shame he can't stay. This Halloween's probably going to be a lot nicer compared to the disastrous ones he's had," Ginny teased Harry, pecking him on the cheek and making him blush tomato-red. "But, go ahead, Lawrence. My boyfriend's all yours," Ginny pushed Harry over to the young boy.

Lawrence immediately whipped out his notepad and looked at Harry with the serious expression resembling a news reporter anxious to get a scoop. "How many Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers did you have while you were here?" he asked. Harry blinked a couple times, caught unawares by the sudden interview session, but he could answer this one. His years at Hogwarts were practically _measured_ by all the Defense teachers who had taught him.

"Six. First year, there was Quirrell, who had Voldemort _(everyone bar Jemma cringed slightly at the name)_. Second Year, Lockhart. He was rather more pompous, in my opinion, than he was a fraud. Third Year, Remus Lupin. He was the best one and he taught me the Patronus charm. He was also a great friend of my dad's." Harry s eyes showed a slight bit of pain at that bit.

"Fourth Year was Mad-Eye Moody who wasn't exactly Mad-Eye Moody, but an imposter using Polyjuice Potion. Fifth Year, we had Umbridge. She was a horror, that woman. Then, in Sixth Year, it was Professor Snape while Professor Slughorn took over Potions," Harry replied and smiled a bit at Lawrence who was scribbling down all of his answers in a small notepad. "I heard a lot about you three," he remarked to him, Vincent, and Wendy.

"Really?" Lawrence asked him, intrigued. Wendy, who was helping Hagrid heft a pumpkin onto the cart he was going to use to take them to the kitchens for carving, looked at Harry curiously.

"Yeah. Jem's told me loads about you three in her letters," Harry nodded, winking at Jemma who smiled shyly.

"You write to him?" Wendy asked, amazed.

Hagrid chuckled. "Blimey, Jem! Ye didn't tell 'em about Harry?" he asked the youngest Dursley.

Wendy and Lawrence stared at Jemma in confusion. "Jem, you might as well tell them," Vincent nudged the Slytherin standing next to him.

"Tell us what?" Wendy and Lawrence asked.

Breathing deeply and exhaling loudly, Jemma walked over to Harry. "Wendy, Lawrence... I'd like you to meet my cousin, Harry James Potter." Holding Harry's hand in her right, Jemma gestured to the two stunned First Years with her left. "Harry, my dear cousin, these are my friends Wendy Barnabas and Lawrence Casby."

The impromptu introduction was concluded with Jemma raising her hands up in a gesture of surrender. "If you two have any violent reactions towards me, go ahead. I probably should have told you the truth from the very start... Sorry about that," she admitted.

Vincent looked at Wendy and Lawrence, wondering how they were taking this. One look at his friends faces and he was laughing out loud. Lawrence's eyes were moving left and right, looking at Harry then Jemma, wide as saucers. Wendy gaped at the two, her mouth opening and closing although no sound came out. Jemma grinned sheepishly while Harry, Ginny, and Hagrid looked amused. Wendy, then, sucked in a breath to compose herself. Letting it out, she looked at Jemma and slowly asked, "Why did you not tell us from the beginning?" a slightly incredulous laugh escaping her mouth.

"I..." Jemma mumbled, suddenly frightened. She'd seen Wendy get angry before and, frankly, the Hufflepuff was _terrifying_ when mad.

Then, to her absolute relief, Wendy's face softened. "Let me guess. Didn't want anyone to start worshipping you for having a famous relative?" the blonde smiled, folding her arms across her chest.

"Yup," Jemma popped the 'p' and her friend laughed.

Lawrence, meanwhile, was still looking at Harry and Jemma. Vincent nudged him slightly and the Ravenclaw's eyes stopped darting about. "At least you're not mumbling nonsense like I did earlier," the Gryffindor rolled his eyes at him. Lawrence nodded slightly, then, jerked to attention when Jemma called him.

"You okay, Lawry?" the Slytherin asked him.

Looking at Harry again, Lawrence nodded and smiled before looking at Harry with reverence. "You must be proud of Jem for being in Slytherin," he remarked.

"Very," Harry squeezed Jemma's shoulder, making the young girl blush.

She, then, looked to her three friends. "I may be related to the Boy Who Lived, but don't treat me any different. I'm like any other witch here," she told them.

"We know. Still..." Vincent looked at Harry. "It must be cool having Harry Potter as your cousin," he told her.

Jemma shrugged. "Yeah, I guess it is but he's really slow to catch onto things sometimes, to be honest," she giggled.

"Oi! I'm not _that_ slow!" Harry protested weakly, Ginny and Hagrid both laughing, while Jemma retorted, " _Yes, you are_!" making her three friends laugh, too.

The rest of the afternoon whizzed by as they helped Hagrid select and load up all the pumpkins needed for the Halloween feast. When the gamekeeper left for the kitchens, Harry and Ginny took the four First Years to the shores of the Black Lake where they watched the giant squid lazily wave its tentacles about. "How d'you reckon Professor McGonagall's going to handle those four?" Ginny asked, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. Harry raised an eyebrow at her, before receiving a light smack on the arm. Ginny rolled her eyes good-naturedly at him and gestured to Jemma, Vincent, Lawrence, and Wendy. "I bet that Jemma's going to have quite a few misadventures of her own during her time here at Hogwarts. And those three are going to be with her every step of the way," she said.

The giant squid had floated closely enough to the four First Years for them to each grasp a tentacle. Jemma was hesitant on account of standing so near to the edge of the water, but relaxed when Lawrence calmly helped her reach out to the giant squid and started tickling its tentacles. Vincent was trying not to squirm as the tentacle he d grabbed onto started flicking his face while Wendy was laughing uproariously as the squid started tickling her. All four of them were chatting to one another, oblivious to the two teenagers observing them.

"A Gryffindor, a Slytherin, a Ravenclaw, and a Hufflepuff... each other's best friends. There's hope for house unity yet," Harry murmured before a sudden fear seized him. Misadventures, Ginny had called them but did that mean Jemma would wind up in danger while she was at Hogwarts like he had? Was history bound to repeat itself?

As if sensing her boyfriend's anxiety, Ginny took Harry's hand and squeezed it. "Nothing's going to happen to Jemma, Harry. The war's over now. It's a new beginning," she reassured him.

Harry nodded and watched Jemma and her friends leave the giant squid in peace, and started to get into a discussion over, what sounded like to him, who was going to help Peeves in pranking Filch next week. Harry chuckled, already imagining what kinds of shenanigans his young cousin was going to get into, and felt his anxiety go away. "Yeah, it is..." he nodded and Ginny smiled.

Suddenly, a large ball of ghostly silver light appeared in the sky. It streaked downwards until it reached Harry where it changed its form into that of a Jack Russel Terrier. Ginny gasped, recognizing her brother's Patronus. _"Bad news, mate. There's been another attack, a big one. All the recruits are needed in the investigation,"_ Ron's voice echoed out of the Patronus mouth before it faded into silvery mist.

Harry frowned and rubbed his eyes tiredly. "That's the third one this week..." he sighed before noticing Ginny's worried look. "I'll be careful. I promise," he whispered, softly kissing her lips, before turning to Jemma, Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence. The quartet had been so immersed in their plans for pranking earlier, but had become quiet when Ron's Patronus appeared. Harry's face was grim as he said, "The Ministry's still tracking down all the rogue Death Eaters. We don't know how many they are, but we're doing everything we can to prevent another war at our hands." Before shooting the foursome an apologetic look. "It looks like this is goodbye for now," he said.

Wendy, Lawrence, and Vincent said their goodbyes, all three of them looking rather disappointed that Harry had to go. Jemma accompanied Harry and Ginny to Professor McGonagall's office. Once Harry explained the situation, the Headmistress nodded in understanding. "It was good to see you again, Mr. Potter," McGonagall said, her eyes sparkling behind her spectacles.

"It was a pleasure helping Professor Waldmunt's class, Professor. Thank you," Harry shook hands with the Headmistress before smiling up at the portrait of Albus Dumbledore.

"Harry, my boy, it was so good of you to come here," Dumbledore's portrait said warmly.

"It was great to be back, Professor," Harry replied, smiling up at his old teacher.

Dumbledore's portrait's eyes seemed to twinkle as he settled them on Jemma. "Ah, Ms. Dursley. I see you finally came around to telling Mr. Potter the truth," he smiled.

Jemma shyly nodded, then, turned to Harry. "Be careful, okay? If either Ginny, Luna, or I get an owl saying that you got hurt, I won't stop until I find out how to send you a Howler," the youngest Dursley said seriously.

Harry lightly laughed, but knew that Jemma was being serious. He hugged her and pressed a kiss to her temple. "I'll be careful, Jem. I promise. Cousins together, friends forever?" he whispered.

"Cousins together, friends forever _and ever,_ " Jemma whispered back, brushing her hand against Harry's scar.

"I'll send you both an owl once the investigation's over," Harry told her and Ginny. He went over to his girlfriend and gave her a chaste kiss. "Take care of her for me," he murmured against Ginny's lips.

"Don't worry. She and the rest of the Golden Quartet will be in good hands," Ginny told him reassuringly.

Harry chuckled at the name. " _Golden Quartet_. Is that what you'll be calling them from now on?" he asked.

"Seamus and the rest of our House called you, Ron, and Hermione the _Golden Trio_ ," Ginny retorted.

"Really? We never heard them say it," Harry looked mildly surprised.

"That's 'cause we only said it when you three weren't around," Ginny told him.

McGonagall understood the little inside joke her two students had shared and let out a small chuckle while Jemma looked plain confused. Golden Trio? Golden Quartet?Seeing Jemma's confused look, Harry smiled and went over to her. "What was that Ginny mentioned about a trio and a quartet?" Jemma asked curiously.

"Oh, nothing, Jem. Just talking nonsense," Harry replied, ruffling her hair.

Jemma sighed and shrugged, deciding not to think about it, and gave Harry one last hug. "See you soon?" she whispered hopefully. Harry nodded and gave her one last hug before heading towards the fireplace.

"Ministry of Magic!"

In a swirl of green flames, Harry was gone.

* * *

Ginny and Jemma left Professor McGonagall's office. When Jemma saw that Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence were waiting for her, she couldn't help but smile. _Golden quartet... Ah, now I get it..._ the youngest Dursley thought as she and her three best friends walked with Ginny to the Great Hall for the Halloween feast, where they were treated to the spectacle of live bats fluttering around the floating jack o lanterns while the ghosts, led by Sir Nicholas, performed a melancholy song.

Jemma, Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence were sitting at the Ravenclaw table this time with Luna, who told them all about the fantastic creatures she and her father encountered during Halloween when she was still too young to attend Hogwarts. Every student, in fact, was either sitting in different tables or milling about the Great Hall to share sweets and jokes. The teachers, sitting at the high table, looked at each other and smiled. This was better than all the previous Halloweens when the students would only sit at their respective House's table. Now they were mingling with one another and enjoying the festivities as one big group...

Jemma was about to ask Luna a question regarding Heliopaths, fire spirits that burn everything in their path as they gallop, when Cassie Devon walked up to her. "That was scary, what your Boggart looked like earlier," she remarked offhandedly. Pressing her lips tight, Jemma lightly shrugged. She wasn't in the mood to get into a fight.

"Back off, Cassie," Wendy glared at the Gryffindor, but Jemma held up a placating hand to stop her from doing anything rash. Lawrence looked at Vincent who anxiously held his breath.

Then Luna spoke up. "It's nice of you to worry about Jemma, Cassie," the older Ravenclaw said serenely.

Cassie blinked at Luna, shocked, while Jemma looked confused. "You're... worried about me?" Jemma asked Cassie carefully.

Cassie, after getting over the initial shock of Luna figuring her out so quickly, cleared her throat. "Your dad... He... Does he give you the belt often?" she asked haltingly.

Jemma shook her head. "He's only given it to me twice. He wasn't happy when I started doing accidental magic," she replied.

Cassie nodded slowly, putting her hands behind her back. "He's not that open-minded, is he?" she asked her.

Smiling slightly, Jemma held out a platter of pumpkin tarts to her. "Yeah, I'm afraid he isn't," she said. Cassie eyed the pumpkin tarts carefully, before taking one and heading back to the Gryffindor table.

Vincent watched Cassie leave, then, looked at Jemma inquisitively. "That was odd," he remarked, Wendy and Lawrence voicing their agreement.

"She's not so bad," Jemma shrugged, before pocketing a few pieces of apple and pumpkin. Then, she looked at Luna hopefully. "Can my friends and I go to the owlery and see Seraphine while the feast is going on?" she asked.

"One minute..." Luna went to ask Professor McGonagall and came back, smiling. "The Headmistress says it's all right."

* * *

Jemma motioned for her friends to follow her. Before the day was over, she had decided that it was time for her to be completely honest with them. The four First Years headed up to the owlery. Turning to her three friends, Jemma took a deep breath. "Wendy already knows. But I think you boys need to meet Seraphine, too," she said. Wendy grinned while the two boys looked at each other, confused.

Entering the owlery, Jemma switched to her mind voice.

' _Seraphine, you there?_ '

Strains of phoenix song echoed throughout the owlery, making the owls hoot softly in admiration. Seraphine flew through one of the windows, the harvest moonlight casting an otherworldly glow on her beautiful scarlet plumage. Otulissa fluttered down from her perch and rubbed her head against the phoenix's.

"You... have... a... _phoenix_?" Lawrence's jaw dropped, his eyes widening, while Vincent murmured, "Wow..."

Jemma nodded, smiling, as she stroked Seraphine's feathers and fed her and Otulissa apple and pumpkin bits. ' _Lawrence looks like he's about to faint,_ ' Seraphine observed, prompting Jemma to look over her shoulder. True enough, Lawrence's knees were shaking. ' _Do you think he'll calm down if I let him pet me?_ ' Seraphine asked.

"I think he will," Jemma said out loud, making her three friends look at her strangely. "I can communicate with Seraphine using my mind," she explained before grinning. "Lawry, over here." Lawrence made his way over to Seraphine and Jemma, a huge smile blooming on his face. "Just be careful with the feathers on her head. She's quite proud of them," the youngest Dursley told him, shooting her phoenix friend a glare when she pecked at her fingers for the comment.

Carefully, Lawrence ran his fingers through the feathers covering Seraphine's starboard wing, marveling at how warm they were. Seraphine trilled, closing her eyes in bliss, as the boy petted her. The boy laughed, thrilled. "Unbelievable... I'm petting an actual phoenix..." he mumbled in awe and regarded Seraphine with reverence. He looked at Jemma and grinned. "You've got to tell me how you two met in the future."

"Seraphine's not the only secret I kept from you all," Jemma admitted, looking at Vincent who smiled knowingly.

"Well, you don't have to tell us everything, Jem," Wendy told her, prompting the Slytherin to look a bit nervous.

"I know. But you three are my friends... the first friends I made here. It's only fair," Jemma said softly, nodding to Seraphine and Otulissa who proceeded to give her some space.

Vincent looked at Lawrence and Wendy's confused faces and smiled, putting his arms over their shoulders. "Just you watch," he said and nodded to the Slytherin in front of them.

Seeing that she had her friends' undivided attention, Jemma shut her eyes. She heard Wendy scream and Lawrence sharply gasp as she assumed phoenix form. When she opened her eyes, Jemma saw Wendy and Lawrence looking at Vincent incredulously, the Gryffindor looking totally calm. "Amazing, isn't it?" Vincent chirped, impressing Jemma with how he took all of this in stride despite having been totally shocked earlier.

"Amazing? _Amazing?!_ " Wendy screeched, wildly gesturing to the new phoenix hovering in front of them. "Vince, our friend suddenly _caught on fire_ and _turned into a flipping phoenix!_ "

Lawrence, on the other hand, was looking at his Gryffindor friend suspiciously. "How long have you known she could do that?" he asked him.

"Not long. I only found out earlier today!" Vincent answered.

Jemma rolled her warm brown eyes at him before turning back into her normal form. She smiled sheepishly at her friends. "I'm still mastering my skills. I've only been able to transform at will a couple of times," she admitted before looking fearfully at Lawrence and Wendy. "Are you two... scared of me now?"

"Scared? No. Surprised? Yes," Wendy told her before glancing at Seraphine curiously. "Can you two talk to each other while you're in your other form?" she inquired. Jemma nodded and breathed out a sigh of relief when Lawrence exclaimed, "How did you do that? I've never seen anything like it! Are you an Animangus? How's a phoenix form even possible? Did you do the special ritual? How were you able to register yourself in the Ministry?" his questions passing through his lips in rapid fire succession.

"Lawrence, breathe!" Vincent laughed, slapping his friend on the back.

Laughing, Jemma looked at her friends, then, her face turned serious. "I'm putting my full trust in you three. You won't tell anyone else, will you?"

Sensing their friend's trepidation, Lawrence, Vincent, and Wendy all nodded reassuringly.

"We won't ever tell a soul, Jemma," Lawrence promised.

"Your secret's safe with us, Jem," Vincent swore.

"We promise you that we won't betray your trust, Jem," Wendy vowed.

Jemma felt a huge weight lift from her shoulders and smiled. The four of them, then, left the owlery in high spirits as they swapped stories and jokes on their way back to the Great Hall to finish the rest of the feast.

That Halloween, Jemma knew that, apart from her friends in Slytherin, she'd found true friends in all the other Houses. And she couldn't be happier.

* * *

 **Phew! This took longer than I thought to finish Again, my sincerest and deepest apologies. I'm going to plan the next chapter carefully now. I want to inject a bit of fear in the next chapter...**

 **Maybe the next chapter should focus on Harry's investigation with Ron and the rest of the Auror trainees?**

 **If you have any ideas, let me know! And give me constructive criticism! Thank you so much for your patience!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	17. 17: The Serpent Man

**Decided to shift the focus to the Aurors in this quite short chapter. Hopefully, this will offer a sort of prelude to the conflicts to come.**

 **And thank you so much to all the readers who reviewed.**

 **NOTE: I OWN NOTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 17: The Serpent Man**

"Stenson, your team, take the west. Jacobs, your team takes the east side," Robards instructed his main field Aurors as they advanced on the dilapidated manor house in Wales. Robards was on point. Stenson and Jacobs, the Auror Department's most experienced, led their three-person team behind him. The trainees, Harry and Ron included, trudged behind them.

The latest attack had been that of a wealthy Muggle landlord and his entire family during a birthday party at a village pub. The latest lead was that, shortly after the attack, which left only the landlord's teenage children and one of the pub workers alive and traumatized despite having their memories Obliviated, the Death Eaters had fled the pub for the village outskirts. The investigation team arrived at Wales late in the afternoon, inspected the crime scene, and pinned the location down to an old, abandoned manor house a few miles away from the crime scene.

Everyone had their wands out and listened carefully. The silence was heavy and the harvest moon glowed brightly in the night sky. The plan was to surround the Death Eaters' hiding place and wait until one of them made a wrong move. If there was to be a fight, the Aurors and their trainees needed the cover of darkness for the element of surprise to work.

Of course, darkness was also beneficial to the Death Eaters so the Aurors had to be careful.

"Don't get separated from your partner. Move in... _now_!"

Harry hid behind a nearby bush with Gregory Vicar, his partner for this mission. Ron was on the other side of the manor's sprawling yard with Holly Rovins. Gregory wiped his sweaty brow. "How many d'you reckon are in there?" he murmured, keeping an eye on the manor's side entrances. Harry shrugged, straining his eyes to try and look through the grimy glass windows for any signs of life.

An hour into the stake-out, bloodcurdling screams were heard coming from the manor's top floor. Bangs, crashes, and thumps were heard then, a few minutes later, all was silent again.

Robards gave Stenson and Jacobs the go signal and the two Aurors and their teams went into the manor first. The trainees remained outside, awaiting their orders, for a good ten minutes before one of Stenson's teammates came running out, eyes wide.

"You lot need to see this."

Warily, the whole team of trainees came into the manor, climbed the rickety steps to the top floor, and entered the room Stenson and Jacobs were in with the rest of their teams.

"Bloody hell..." Ron breathed out while Holly let out a strangled gasp.

Gregory and the rest of the Auror trainees recoiled in horror, one of them going so far as to retch in a corner.

Harry could only stare, pale faced, at the sight before them.

Nine Death Eaters were lying on the floor, moaning and groaning, their blood glinting black in the moonlight. Their wands had been tossed aside and, upon looking at the smashed up furniture and blood-flecked walls, it was evident that something extremely wild had attacked them.

But it was what was lying in the middle of the room that attracted the most horror.

Was it a man? A serpent? It looked like he was a grotesque mixture of both. His skin was a muddy green color and marked with scale like patterns. The man's limbs were in the worst state. They had become limp, boneless things and the hands and feet had been reduced to mere stumps. Lifeless eyes stared up at the ceiling and the mouth was open, dripping with black blood.

Robards face was grim as he ordered some of the trainees to take the Death Eaters out of the manor and bring them to St. Mungo's immediately. Ron and Harry were among those who stayed behind to investigate. They found a Death Eater's mask lying near the dead man, which provided them with an answer to what had attacked the other nine. As for the man's post-mortem appearance, the theories ranged from curses to a transfiguration spell gone horribly wrong, the latter being the most plausible.

"Why would a Death Eater transfigure himself into something like this while his fellows are with him?" Harry wondered out loud as they arrived back at the Ministry with their report later that night.

Ron and Gregory could only shrug. Then, Gregory had a theory. "It could have been a ritual. A lot of rituals are involved in Dark magic," he suggested.

"Maybe... But what kind of ritual was it? And why would the Death Eaters let one of their own do it?" Ron asked.

While his best mate and Gregory discussed all the possibilities, Harry thought back to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class he'd helped teach earlier. An image of the first form Jemma's Boggart took flashed before his eyes and a nauseous feeling overcame Harry

A winged snake and a deformed Death Eater that resembled a serpent...

Could they both be related somehow?

For the sake of Jemma, Harry fervently hoped it wasn't.

* * *

 **Yeah, I know it's rather short. I'm sorry. But I hope it helps set things up for the main conflict that will happen towards the end. In the meantime, read and review!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	18. 18: Hard Play

**I'm back! Sorry this took so long. I had to focus on finishing everything for my second semester in sophomore college. I was also having a hard time deciding how the story was going to progress. But now I am on break and can finally refocus!**

 **Thank you for your patience and continuous support. On with the story!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! ALL RIGHTS TO THE BOOKS AND THE FILMS GO TO J.K. ROWLING AND WARNER BROS.**

* * *

 **Chapter 18: Hard Play**

The following morning, Harry had sent Jemma a letter with details of last night's investigation. The news of the dead serpent man frightened Jemma and she'd been tempted to visit Harry to see if he was okay. But Harry was a trained wizard and he could take care of himself. And Jemma knew that.

Besides, she had her own worries.

The wind started picking up as soon as Hogwarts entered into November. Most of the Whomping Willow's leaves had already fallen and the grass was covered with a thin frost each morning.

And with all of that came Quidditch.

* * *

Jemma could only manage a few bites of her waffles because her stomach was doing somersaults. Today was the first match of the season, with Gryffindor and Slytherin playing against each other. Looking across the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table, she could tell that Vincent was just as nervous as she was. The boy's face was white as milk and he didn't touch anything on his plate.

"Jem, come on, you need to eat," Annie shook her friend's shoulder. Jemma nodded absentmindedly. She speared a bit of waffle on her fork and placed it in her mouth, barely chewing it before swallowing.

Breakfast was over in a flash and Jemma left the Great Hall to change into her Quidditch robes. On her way to the pitch, she managed to talk to Lawrence and Wendy.

"Is Harry coming to watch you play?" Wendy asked her.

"He can't. The investigations have gotten more serious and the Ministry's having him and Ron work overtime along with all the other trainee Aurors," Jemma replied, feeling rather put out by this.

The mission to round up the few remaining Death Eaters was now a special priority of the Ministry. Investigations had become more frequent and, due to this, Harry couldn't make it to Jemma's first Quidditch match. Jemma understood that her cousin was busy. But, still, it would have been great to play with Harry's support.

"I feel sick," Jemma admitted to her two friends.

Lawrence patted her back. "It's just nerves, Jem. You'll do fine," he reassured her.

* * *

At eleven o' clock, Jemma and the rest of the Slytherin team assembled in their little bunker below the stands. Lionus Xavier stood before them all, his Beater's bat clutched firmly in his right hand, his broomstick in his left.

"Okay, team. First match for this year and we've got to give it all we ve got. Don't pay attention to the boos and hisses. When we get out there, our focus is on the game," Lionus told his team.

 _The crowds are going to give us a hard time..._ Jemma thought miserably. With the exception of Hagrid, Ginny, Luna, Lawrence, Wendy, and the professors, everybody in Hogwarts was going to support Gryffindor's team all the way. Slytherin would be the only House supporting them...

"We're not going to let a bad rep ruin our chances of taking back the Cup this year. We've got three Chasers who can pass and shoot the Quaffle like they've been doing it for ages."

Lionus nodded to three tall Fifth Year boys who, to Jemma, looked like they could be professional basketball players in the NBA.

"An eagle-eyed Keeper defending our hoops."

A blond Fourth Year saluted Lionus who saluted him back.

"We have, apart from myself, a strong Beater to whack the Bludgers off our tail," Lionus and a freckly, auburn-haired Sixth Year shared a grin. " _And_ ," Lionus looked at Jemma and confidently smiled. "we have one hell of a Seeker," he told the team. Jemma felt her cheeks flush at her team captain's praise. She hoped she wouldn't let the team down.

"We've been training for weeks. It's time to put all our efforts to the test," Lionus continued before looking at his team, his morale-boosting smile replaced with a steely-eyed look of seriousness. "And remember to look out for each other," he added, earning nods from the team.

Jemma anxiously clutched her Nimbus 2001 in both hands. The other Slytherin Beater standing next to Jemma patted her back. "It'll be all right. Remember: you've trained hard for this. Just keep your wits about you and don't lose sight of the Snitch when you see it," he told her encouragingly. Looking up at the Fourth Year, Jemma let out a shaky breath and nodded. "Name's Derek Corben, by the way," the Fourth Year smiled at her.

Feeling a little less nervous, Jemma looked ahead to see Lionus mounting his broom. The other players of the Slytherin team did the same. The doors were flung open and all seven players came zooming out into the field.

And, just as Lionus predicted it, an awful lot of booing was heard from the crowds.

"Beat those snakes, Gryffindor!"

"Down with Slytherin!"

"Some support..." Jemma muttered to herself, but smiled when she saw Wendy waving two flags in the air red and yellow for Gryffindor; green and silver for Slytherin and cheering at the top of her lungs, "Go Jemma and Vincent! Go Gryffindor and Slytherin!" along with Lawrence who had snuck into the Hufflepuff stands.

Lawrence, with his blue Ravenclaw scarf, stuck out in the sea of black and yellow. He was sending up green and red sparks into the air that formed the Slytherin serpent and Gryffindor lion. A truly remarkable display of spell work.

From across the field, Jemma spotted Vincent. A little white-faced, Vincent locked eyes with Jemma and managed a small smile. ' _Good luck,'_ he mouthed to her.

' _You too,'_ Jemma mouthed back before hearing the commentator's voice reverberating throughout the stadium.

"This is Joan Hammonds reporting live from Hogwarts' first Quidditch match of the season! Sorry, Jase and Jer! Would have wanted you two with me here today, but the position's only for one!"

Joan was a Hufflepuff in Jemma's year with dark brown eyes and curly chestnut hair. Sitting with the teachers, she proceeded to comment on the game. "Gryffindor and Slytherin take their positions as Madame Hooch steps out onto the field," she announced.

Madam Hooch placed the trunk containing the four balls and looked up at all 14 students hovering in the air. Her stern look was enough to tell them all that she wanted this game to be free from any rule-breaking. "Captains, shake hands," she commanded.

Lionus and Ginny, both still on their brooms, flew closer to each other. Ginny smiled brightly while Lionus gave her a tight-lipped half-smile as they shook hands. With that over, they flew back to their teams.

"Madame Hooch has released the Bludgers," Joan's voice echoed as the two iron menaces rocketed out of the trunk. "And there goes the Golden Snitch! Good luck to the Seekers catching that yellow devil!"

 _Harry wasn't joking. That thing's damn fast!_ Jemma thought, struggling to keep her eyes on the Snitch. But the thing was like a hummingbird high on caffeine and had zipped out of sight in seconds.

"Incidentally, both Gryffindor and Slytherin's Seekers are in First Year. Guess after Harry Potter's Quidditch debut, the rules have been tweaked."

"They _have_ , Ms. Hammonds," Professor McGonagall reminded the Hufflepuff First Year.

"Gotcha, Headmistress. Thanks for the clarification!" Joan said brightly.

Jemma took a deep breath to calm her nerves as the Quaffle was tossed up into the air.

The game was on!

"Gryffindor captain Ginny Weasley in possession of the Quaffle, passes it to Nigel Wolpert. He's headed for the hoops, there goes the Quaffle... Ooh! Stolen by Slytherin's Antony Leverton. Slytherin in possession now."

Boos and hisses could be heard as Antony threw the Quaffle and earned the first ten points of the game. Jemma whooped as Antony high-fived the Keeper and Lionus as he flew past them.

"First ten points go to Slytherin! Come on, lions, even the odds!"

"Ms. Hammonds, no biases in the commentary!" Professor McGonagall chastised her.

"Right, sorry, Headmistress! The Quaffle is retrieved by Gryffindor's third Chaser, Avery Mackle. She's tearing up the field, narrowly dodges a Bludger... she shoots... she scores! Ten points to Gryffindor!"

The Gryffindors cheered like mad as did the Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws. Meanwhile, Jemma was circling high over the game, looking for the Snitch. The last time she saw it, the little yellow ball was flittering upwards...

"Mackle passes the Quaffle to Weasley and... ooh, Slytherin's goals protected by Keeper Richard Westley at the last second! Slytherin in possession. Leverton performing some fancy passing there with Ben Greaves and Terrence Sundall. Quaffle's with Greaves as he avoids Wolpert's attempts to steal... he passes it to Sundall! Sundall's headed for the goals...!"

 _CRACK!_

"Ooh, Gryffindor Beater Will Dykins pelts a Bludger at him! Luckily, it was just the broom that broke, ladies and gentlemen. Does that count as a penalty, Headmistress?"

Down below, Jemma could see one of the green-clad players spiraling down towards the ground on his broomstick and hitting the ground with a dull _thump!_

Hearing some of the laughs from the crowds made Jemma clench her fists tightly against her broom's handle. She dropped a couple of meters in the air. She had no luck finding the Snitch up high so she might as well go a bit low.

Madam Hooch gave Slytherin a penalty, much to majority of the crowds' displeasure. Antony and Ben both scored a couple of goals, putting Slytherin in the lead. Jemma spotted Vincent hovering close to the ground. Like her, he was keeping his eyes out for the Snitch.

"The penalty for Slytherin is now over. We are back in play. Weasley gets the Quaffle. Sakes alive, look at her go! The Gryffindor captain's like a lighting bolt there! What a shot! Score's now 30 - 20 with Slytherin still in the lead."

Jemma ducked as a Bludger went whizzing by, barely missing her head, and kept on looking for a flash of gold wings.

Joan kept up with the commentary. "Oh, looks like Mackle's got the Quaffle now! She passes it to Wolpert. He shoots, Westley attempts to guard. Too late, the Quaffle's in! Gryffindor and Slytherin are now tied!"

The cheering hit fever pitch as both teams, now on even footing, played harder. A Bludger was sailing towards a still searching Jemma and Derek Corben zipped over to her and batted it away. "Stay sharp, kid!" he hollered to his teammate.

That's when Jemma saw the Golden Snitch flying towards the middle of the pitch. Pointing her broom downwards, Jemma streaked through the air. She just had to grab the Snitch and Slytherin would win.

"There's the Snitch! I can see it _and_ the Slytherin Seeker pursuing it! Gryffindor's own Seeker's spotted it, too!"

Vincent gritted his teeth as he urged his Nimbus 2001 to go faster. His eyes widened when he saw Jemma coming from the other side of the pitch. "Come on, Nim'... COME ON!" he roared as he streaked after the Snitch.

"Gotta get the Snitch... Gotta get the Snitch..." Jemma chanted as she soon caught up with Vincent. They were now neck and neck in the race to catch the Golden Snitch when...

" _Bludgers headed straight for the Seekers!_ "

Joan's shout alerted Jemma and Vincent. The two turned their heads to see both Bludgers headed straight for them!

"Shit!" Vincent cursed and flew lower. Jemma quickly shot her broomstick upwards. The two Bludgers passed by, smashing into one side of the stands. Anxious to make up for lost time, Jemma flew as fast as she could, the Snitch still in her sights.

But Vincent was way ahead of her.

With a final burst of speed, he reached out and grabbed the Snitch before stopping his broom. Jemma whizzed right past him but managed to get her broom to stop as the stands erupted in wild applause.

"Gryffindor Seeker Vincent Aurelius has the Snitch! Final score is Gryffindor 180 to 30! The Lions have won again, ladies and gents! Woohoo!" Joan Hammonds cheered, waving the Gryffindor flag in the air.

Vincent and Jemma both landed on the pitch. Jemma rushed over to Vincent, who looked as if he was in shock, and, after a few seconds to let herself accept defeat, she playfully punched him in the arm. "Good game, Vince!" she congratulated her friend. Vincent blinked at her, confused. "You caught the Snitch, silly! It's in your hand right now!" Jemma laughed, prompting the boy to look at the Golden Snitch which was furiously flapping its wings in his grip.

Looking at Jemma, Vincent grinned. "You weren't so bad yourself, Jem," he told her before he was suddenly hoisted onto the shoulders of the Gryffindor team and carried off in a victory procession. Ginny spotted Jemma standing off to the side and gave her a thumbs-up. Jemma smiled and saluted her before heading off the field. Her teammates greeted her with nods and pats on the back.

"Good flying out there today, kid," Derek Corben complimented, making Jemma blush as she passed by him.

Lionus Xavier stood waiting for her, an unreadable expression on his face. Jemma felt her already sweaty palms grow sweatier. But, to her relief, Lionus said, "You got close to catching the Snitch. Not bad for a Firstie." Looking slightly impressed.

* * *

Jemma changed out of her Quidditch robes and headed straight back to the Slytherin common room to rest. Some of the Slytherins were already there and congratulated her for doing well. "We didn't win the match. I don't know why everyone's congratulating me," Jemma mumbled, flopping down on the black leather couch.

"Well, you proved to be an excellent flier. And you were _this_ close to catching the Snitch," Tanya held her thumb and index finger apart by a smidgeon. "The last Seeker didn't even try to win. You, on the other hand, Jem, gave it everything you got."

"What do you mean the last Seeker didn't even try to win?" Jemma raised an eyebrow at her.

"Oh, it's something we heard from the upper years. Last year's Seeker was a Seventh Year who had lived through the war. Since most of the other Houses hated Slytherin, he let the Gryffindors win," Tanya explained.

Jemma winced at that. "I had no idea this House was so stigmatized," she said to herself.

"But, hey, with Jemma on the team, Slytherin will have a fighting chance for this year! The next match will probably be against Hufflepuff. Who knows? Slytherin might win," Opal said optimistically.

"When's that match going to be?" Jemma asked, suddenly eager to get back to training.

"After the Christmas holidays. You suddenly look interested," Topaz teased her.

"I gotta start practicing again!" Jemma leaped off the couch, but her friends held her back.

"Easy, Jem! The next match isn't for a month. And you just played! Take a break," Annie reminded her. Jemma rolled her eyes good-naturedly at her, but allowed herself to sit back down on the couch.

* * *

She must have been exhausted because, a few minutes later, she dozed off. When she woke up, Jemma saw that her friends had gone and it was close to dinnertime. Getting off the couch and stretching her sore limbs, Jemma left the dungeons. Along the way, she passed by Professor Snape.

"You played well today, Ms. Dursley."

Pausing mid-step, Jemma did an about face as the old Potions Master's silvery form glided away. "You were watching the match?" she asked, her voice echoing through the stone corridor.

"I make it a point to watch all of Slytherin's Quidditch matches, regardless of the results," Snape's ghost turned around to look at her. "With a fair amount of luck, you might be able to help the team win next time." With those words, the ghost of Professor Snape passed through a wall.

 _Next time... Next time for sure!_ Bolstered by the former professor's words, Jemma headed to the Great Hall for supper.

* * *

 **So... how was it? I'm sorry it's not exactly up to snuff. I've only just gone back to this story after weeks of acads. I'm free to do whatever I like from June to July so, hopefully, I'll be able to recover my writing skills and come up with more chapters.**

 **The next one is going to take place during the Christmas holidays. Funny that I'll be writing during my summer break instead of December, but, oh well!**

 **Anyways, read and review! Constructive criticism is greatly appreciated.**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	19. 19: Jemma's Birthday

**Next chapter, enjoy! This isn't exactly the Christmas chapter I was planning on. I was planning the chapter's outline when I remembered that Jemma's birthday is November 30. And I wanted to write about her celebrating it with her friends.**

 **The next chapter will be set during Christmas holidays. Sorry for misleading you in the previous chapter's hints about this one.**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN ANYTHING!**

* * *

 **Chapter 19: Jemma's Birthday**

Classes picked up the pace as the Christmas holidays drew near with students up to their eyeballs in writing essays and practicing spells late into the night. "I'm dying here, mates. I just can't keep up..." Lawrence rubbed his eyes, his History of Magic textbook lying open in front of him, as he and his friends studied in the library.

Wendy snuck him a Chocolate Frog from under the table. "Hang in there, Lawrence. Just a few more weeks of this..." she muttered, avoiding Madam Pince's gaze as she wrote another paragraph for her Charms essay.

Jemma also kept up with her Phoenix Soul training. Every night, when every one had gone to bed, she would sneak down into the common room and practice her fire summoning skills. Seraphine joined her, arriving in a flash of flame when she knew the young Phoenix Soul would be there, and coached her on how to control her fire. They would stay in front of the fireplace, Seraphine watching and Jemma doing her best to morph the flames into all sorts of shapes, until the latter of the two felt her eyes grow droopy with fatigue.

"Have you been staying up late again?" Vincent frequently asked the Slytherin whenever they sat down to have breakfast together.

"Yeah... I can't seem to stop studying..." Jemma would yawn out. After breakfast, the four of them would head off to class. During breaks, they would get started on whatever homework they'd been given that day and, if they had a little free time, spent time at Hagrid's hut with Ginny and Luna or head up to the owlery and feed Otulissa, Seraphine and the other school owls.

This pattern continued until the morning of November 30.

* * *

Jemma woke up and found herself alone in the girls's dormitory. Then she noticed the pile of presents at the foot of her bed. A grin spreading across her face, Jemma remembered that today was her birthday. Throwing on her dressing gown, Jemma knelt in front of the pile of gifts. She seized a box wrapped in green wrapping paper dotted with silver stars with her name written in her mother's neat handwriting. But before she unwrapped it, Jemma read the card that came with it.

 _ **My darling Jem,**_

 _ **Happy birthday, love. I hope you're doing well at Hogwarts. With both you and Dudley away at school, it's been quite lonely here. But don't worry about me. I've been busy with work and I'm doing just fine. Please be careful while you're there in school. Remember, I support you being adventurous, but please don't be reckless.**_

 _ **Jem, dear, I know that I may not have been the best mother. And, for that, I'm sorry. It's only when you started showing signs of accidental magic did I realize that it was foolish of me to try and suppress your gift.**_

 _ **But, really, it was all out of fear why I even tried.**_

Jemma's eyes widened at her mum's heartfelt apology and the statement of her reasons.

 ** _When your Aunt Lily was murdered, I blamed the magical world for taking her away from me. I feared the day either you or Dudley would end up having magic and risk being taken away, too. But, now, I see that I was wrong. For envying my sister, for mistreating Harry... for trying to keep you from discovering the gift you've had all along._**

 ** _I am proud of you, darling, for standing up to your father and charting your own course by choosing to attend Hogwarts. I know you will do great and become a well-learned witch. Of course, don't forget to keep doing those math problems I send you. I still want you to keep up with the rest of your peers in normal classes._**

 ** _That being said, enjoy today, Jemma. Have fun with your friends._**

 ** _I love you, my darling. Happy Birthday._**

 ** _Love,_**

 ** _Mummy_**

Smiling, the young Phoenix Soul unwrapped her gift. "Oh, wow, Mum!" gasped Jemma as she tried on the new set of clothes her mother had gotten her - a creamy white knee-length dress with feather designs printed onto the cotton and a matching knitted bolero jacket. Jemma laughed as she spun around, the dress's skirt billowing out. Oh, if only she could wear this to class today! But Jemma knew better than to disrespect Hogwarts's dress code and made a mental note to wear the new outfit her mother had gotten for her over the holidays. There were a lot more presents to unwrap, but Jemma was getting hungry so, after dressing in her regular uniform, she made her way over to the Great Hall for breakfast...

"SURPRISE!"

...only to find Wendy, Lawrence, Vincent, and her dorm mates already waiting for her at the Slytherin table with a birthday feast. Rich, thick, hot chocolate and plates of waffles topped with everything from sweet maple syrup and fruits to savory bacon and cheese. "Being 13's hungry work, Jem. Tuck in," Lawrence grinned, pushing a plate of warm waffles topped with mounds of whipped cream and strawberries to his Slytherin friend.

"Thanks, everyone," Jemma said sincerely before digging into the plate of golden-brown goodness.

"Have you opened all of your presents?" Annie asked her, having her own plate of waffles drizzled with peanut butter and chocolate chips.

"Not yet. I'll be opening them during lunch. What's the password for today? I didn't check the notice board," Jemma asked her friends. She'd already eaten her strawberries and cream waffles and was now sipping her second mug of hot chocolate.

"It's 'lizard's tail.' Ah, and there's the mail," Tanya said through a mouthful of maple syrup slathered waffles, as the owls came flying in.

As students opened their letters and packages, Otulissa swooped over to the Slytherin table. "Whoo-wee! That's a lot of deliveries for the birthday girl," Wendy remarked, swallowing a bite of waffles and bananas, as a bundle of birthday cards and small packages landed in Jemma's lap. She received an Aviatomobile and a pot of Ten-Second Pimple Vanisher from Ron and George; a raven feather quill from Hermione; a box of homemade fudge from Mrs. Weasley; and a small bottle of green tea-scented perfume from Dudley. Along with the presents were handmade birthday cards from her mum, her brother, and...

" _Harry Potter_ sent you a birthday card?" Topaz stared at one of the cards, brushing one of her curls away from her eyes to make sure she didn't mistake the famous wizard's name on the card for somebody else's.

Annie, Tanya, and Opal looked up from their plates to see Topaz holding a card tied with yellow ribbons. Jemma flushed red and mumbled, "Yes." before taking the card while Ginny told them the truth.

Needless to say, Jemma's dorm mates nearly squealed with excitement at the revelation before Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence shushed them. Not minding her girl friends's awed expressions, Jemma read the little message Harry had written for her in the birthday card.

 ** _Many happy returns to the girl with a fire in her heart and a smile that brightens up the world each day. As much as I don't want to admit it, Jem, because sometimes I wish you'd stay my adorable little cousin forever, you're growing up._**

 ** _Technically, you're a teenager now so that means you'll be experiencing a whole load of new things. Ginny and Luna have a better grasp at being teenage girls than I do, so it might be best to ask them for advice first before asking me. I'm rubbish at giving teen advice, I'm afraid._**

 ** _But know that I'll always be there for you no matter what._**

 ** _Happy 13th birthday, Jem! I'll see you during Christmas hols!_**

 ** _Harry_**

 ** _PS: Teddy says "Happy Birthday, Big Sister Jem!"_**

Below Harry's signature was a scribble of blue crayon that said TEDDY with a squiggly smiley face. Jemma smiled and carefully tucked the card into her robes. She looked up and saw Annie, Tanya, Opal, and Topaz staring at her. "You're really Harry Potter's cousin?" Topaz asked, eyes wide.

Smiling slightly, Jemma nodded. "Please don't tell anyone. I don't want people to start treating me any different because of it," she requested upon noticing the sheer number of students milling about the Great Hall.

Opal and Topaz both pretended to clamp their mouths shut and throw away the keys. Tanya winked and whispered, "I heard nothing about this." While Annie nodded, her eyes telling Jemma that she could be trusted with her secret.

Wendy, Vincent, and Lawrence looked at each other and smiled. They were used to getting odd looks from the Slytherins, as the three of them were pretty much the only ones who didn't show any signs of dislike for the House, but they hadn't been able to completely befriend any of the First Year Slytherins until now. If Jemma could trust her dorm mates, then, they could trust them as well.

"Who else knows about you and Harry Potter being related?" Tanya asked softly, looking over her shoulder to check if anyone was eavesdropping.

"Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood. Harry asked them to keep an eye on me while I'm here," Jemma whispered back and smiled when the two witches themselves arrived at the Slytherin table.

"Thought we'd come wish a certain First Year Happy Birthday," Ginny smiled as she gave Jemma a box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans.

Luna gave Jemma a pair of dainty earrings that looked like flying phoenixes. "I wanted to charm them with a spell that could keep your ears warm, but I didn't have the time. I still hope you like them, Jemma," she said.

"These are wonderful, Luna. Thank you," Jemma grinned and immediately put the earrings on. The little group chatted as they ate platefuls of waffles and drank cups of rich hot chocolate until it was time to head to class. Jemma was greeted by some of the students who knew about her birthday. The teachers themselves wished her many happy returns at the end of each class.

Come lunch time, Jemma practically sprinted to her room to unwrap the rest of her presents. Dudley sent her some comic books that he got from his university's bookstore. Her Mum, aside from the new clothes, got her a book about rare birds. Her dorm mates had given her a box containing Honeydukes's best chocolates. Wendy's gift for Jemma was a collection of magical postcards that showed witches and wizards flying about several landmarks in New York City, most notably the Woolsworth's Building. Lawrence's gift was a bundle of drawings of various magical creatures his parents had studied. Vincent's gift was a signed copy of _Quidditch Through the Ages_. Harry's present was opened last. Jemma's eyes widened as she pulled a Golden Snitch out from the little gift box. There was a note tucked inside that read:

 ** _This was the Snitch I caught in my First Year. It played a part in helping me defeat Voldemort. I've carried it around as a reminder of how determination and perseverance allows one to succeed. I hope it helps you, too, Jem._**

Jemma placed the Snitch in the palm of her hand. Its wings popped out and fluttered lazily. "Thanks, Harry..." she murmured, carefully placing the Snitch into her pocket.

* * *

The surprises weren't over for Jemma on her birthday. After classes let out for the day, Wendy brought her to the corridor leading to the kitchens. "We go through here," Wendy showed Jemma a stack of barrels where, concealed behind it, was a door large enough for a person to crawl into when opened. She tapped a peculiar rhythm on a barrel lodged in the middle of the second row from the bottom, and the door popped open. "Welcome to the badger's den," announced Wendy and led a wide-eyed Jemma inside.

The Hufflepuff common room was low-ceilinged, and filled with potted plants of all kinds. Yellow hangings were draped over the ceiling beams, burnished copper shone in the light, and overstuffed sofas and armchairs upholstered in yellow and black were arranged in a circular fashion. The round windows provided a view of rippling grass and dandelions dancing in the breeze, bathing the room in a golden glow. Above a large, honey coloured, wooden mantle - carved with badgers - was a portrait of Helga Hufflepuff. All in all, the place was warm and inviting.

Jemma whistled in admiration, "Nice place you guys have here." before noticing that Wendy had disappeared. Not sure what to expect, she sat down on one of the large sofas and made herself comfortable.

Minutes later, Wendy returned with a large box. Despite Jemma's questions, she refused to open it. "Let's head over to Hagrid's. We'll open it there," she said with a mischievous smile and led Jemma out of the common room. However, no sooner had they crawled out of the door, a barrel overhead popped off its top and doused Jemma in vinegar!

"Oh, crud! I forgot they updated the security system around here..." Wendy groaned.

"It didn't respond when I went in!" Jemma spluttered, spitting out vinegar.

"If a non-Hufflepuff somehow manages to get into the common room without activating the trap, it makes up for the missed opportunity by getting triggered once the intruder steps out of the common room. Sorry, Jem. I forgot about that bit," Wendy apologized, looking sheepish. Jemma started to say that there was no harm done, but shrieked as the vinegar got into her eyes. " _Aguamenti!_ " cried Wendy, a jet of water shooting out of her wand and soaking the poor Slytherin even more.

"That's a little better," sighed Jemma, wringing water and vinegar out of her hair.

"I am so sorry, Jem!" Wendy bowed her head in shame.

"It's all right, Wendy. Go on ahead to Hagrid's. I'll meet you there in..." Jemma sniffed her sodden robes, frowning. "About half an hour," she finished before heading off.

 _Just head to the showers, find a new set of clothes, then get to Hagrid's house before curfew,_ thought Jemma, ignoring the looks from passing students, as she sprinted towards the dungeons. She relaxed as she reached an empty corridor. Then, she heard a cat's meow. Ahead, at the corner, was Mrs. Norris. "

Who's smellin' like vinegar? Nasty imps, trailing the stuff along the floors I just cleaned..."

"Filch!" Jemma squeaked and frantically looked around. Mrs. Norris meowed again, this time padding towards her, and Filch's grumbling became louder.

Forgetting that she smelled like a fish and chips shop, Jemma ran for it. She scampered up stairs and tore through hallways like the devil himself was chasing her before finally coming to a stop, Mrs. Norris and Filch far behind her. Panting, Jemma saw that she was in a part of the castle that she hadn't been in before. For all the weeks she'd been using the Marauder's Map, she'd never fully explored the castle.

"Great... I'm lost... and I reek," Jemma muttered, pacing in front of a tapestry of some barmy wizard trying to teach trolls ballet, thinking about the shower and clean clothes she needed.

The third time she went past the tapestry, Jemma came to a stop. The sound of a tap opening and flowing water reached her ears. Her back to the tapestry, Jemma noticed a door on the opposite wall. Odd, there hadn't been one there earlier...

Holding her wand out, just in case, Jemma approached the door and opened it. Her mouth dropped open as she found herself standing in a fully-equipped bathroom. Locking the door behind her, Jemma got out of her sodden uniform and hopped into the shower. The bathroom had everything she needed, even the shampoo and soap she used back at home!

 _Why hadn't I noticed this room before on the map?_ Now smelling fresh as a daisy, Jemma dried off and found the new clothes her mum had sent her waiting, the dress and jacket washed and pressed. Realization flooded Jemma. "The Room of Requirement..." she whispered. The room where Dumbledore s Army was formed and where they continued to practice their skills, the room feared to have been destroyed during the Battle of Hogwarts... it had revealed itself to her in her time of need.

"Thank you, Hogwarts," Jemma breathed out as she dressed and slipped out of the room. She managed to find her way out of the castle and reach Hagrid's hut.

"Ah, here she is, the birthday girl," Hagrid chuckled, taking a large chocolate cake decorated with swirls of red and orange frosting out of the box Wendy had set on the table. Ginny, Luna, Vincent, Lawence, Annie, Tanya, Topaz, and Opal were all gathered round the table. Seraphine and Otulissa perched on either sides of Jemma.

"You look nice..." Vincent mumbled shyly. Jemma smiled back, smoothing out her dress as she took a seat along with the others.

"Make a wish, Jem," Ginny said, lighting the candles Hagrid had stuck on the cake with magic. Closing her eyes, Jemma smiled and blew out the candles.

* * *

"Wendy, the cake was delicious... Oh, the food coma is settling in..." Lawrence reclined on the rock he was perched on.

After pigging out, the four friends decided to watch the sunset over the Black Lake.

"Mom's triple chocolate fudge cake never fails to disappoint," Wendy smirked, her arms behind her head.

"So, Jem, what'd you wish for?" Vincent teased as he skipped stones across the lake's surface.

"If I tell you, then, the wish might not come true, Vincent," Jemma laughed, watching the setting sun's rays color the lake with soft yellows and pinks.

Truth be told, Jemma hadn't wished for anything at all.

* * *

Later that night, after dinner, Jemma decided to sneak off to the seventh floor - which was completely deserted at this time of the day - to see if the Room of Requirement was still there where she found it. She found the tapestry depicting the wizard and the ballet-dancing trolls and paced before it three times.

 _I want to see the Room... I want to see the Room... I want to see the Room..._ Jemma thought, stopping when the door appeared.

A young girl's curiosity, it seemed, was enough to make it appear again.

Excited, Jemma went inside. Instead of a bathroom, she found herself in what seemed like the world's largest attic. Mountains of old, forgotten, junk towered over her ominously and a layer of ash and dust covered the floor. Jemma picked through the detritus, wandering aimlessly.

" _._..almost..."

Jemma froze in her tracks. Was somebody else in the Room?

"First... complete failure..."

Following the whispers, Jemma made her way over to a large, dusty, black cabinet hidden in a dark corner of the room. The door of the cabinet was slightly open and Jemma could hear snatches of conversation through the crack.

"This time, we will succeed!"

"The Aurors have already found one of our hideouts, you imbecile! What's worse, they _know_ about the experiment!"

Fumbling for her wand, Jemma opened the cabinet door wider and stepped inside. Nobody seemed to be inside and she couldn't even see the hand that held her wand in front of her face. It was pitch black and she didn't dare cast _Lumos_ in case somebody was in the cabinet with her.

"Ow!" Jemma squeaked as she felt herself hit a wall. Then, to her surprise, the wall slightly gave away. A small crack of light appeared. Heart hammering in her chest, Jemma pressed herself against the adjacent wall and peered through the crack. Heavy iron chains crisscrossed the scene, but Jemma could make out a group of witches and wizards gathered around.

"Let them know what we are doing. Some fear of our feats will do them good," one wizard snarled, baring his teeth.

Jemma broke out into a cold sweat. Who were these people?

"Get out."

Body stiffening, Jemma turned around, expecting a teacher or a prefect. Snape's ghost shimmered in front of her, a grave look on his face. " _Now,_ " he commanded her. Nodding, Jemma ran into the darkness until she burst out of the cabinet. Breathing shakily, she realized that she was back in the Room of Requirement. Snape's ghost came out of the cabinet shortly after.

"S-sir, I-I didn't mean to... I was just curious! I..." Jemma stammered before the ghost cut her off with an icy glare.

"It seems to me, Ms. Dursley, that you think yourself above the rules just because you've gained another measly year in your lifespan," drawled Snape. Jemma's cheeks colored bright red in shame and she looked down at her shoes. Then, after several minutes, Snape heaved a sigh and said, "Do not make me regret keeping mum about this."

Jemma looked up at Snape in surprise. "But those people I saw... Th-They're up to something! Something _bad_! Shouldn't the Headmistress know about this?" she asked.

"I will inform the Headmistress of these suspicions, omitting the fact that _you_ broke several school rules in using a Vanishing Cabinet, _and_ managed to find yourself inside Borgin and Burkes, which, is in Knockturn Alley in _London_ and several miles away from Hogwarts. She might not believe me, but I suppose it will convince her enough to suggest the Aurors to begin investigating the area," Snape informed her.

Jemma looked at him, frightened. "Are you going to punish me, sir?" she asked in a small voice.

If Snape had been alive, he would have pinched his nose in vexation. Instead, he folded his arms and gave the young Slytherin a stern look. "As I'm no longer considered as part of the teaching staff, I have no jurisdiction to dole out punishments. _But_ if I find you lurking in this part of the castle once more, I will inform your Head of House. Do I make myself clear?" he told the young girl.

"Crystal," gulped Jemma as she followed Snape out of the Room of Requirement and back to the dungeons.

* * *

 **Read and review whenever and whatever you want!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	20. 20: Christmas Hols

**Here's the Christmas chapter I promised!**

 **AUTHOR'S NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. ALL RIGHTS FOR THE BOOKS AND FILMS GO TO J.K. ROWLING AND WARNER Bros.**

* * *

 **Chapter 20: Christmas Hols**

Jemma still hadn't forgotten what had transpired during her birthday, but didn't dare say a word about it to anyone. As for her friends, they made good on their promise not to tell anyone that she was the famous Harry Potter's cousin. For them, it was quite fun to keep such a secret from everybody else. For Jemma, it was a relief because, the day after her birthday, she calmly noted that nobody had taken to gawking at her.

The first week of December was spent finishing any last-minute assignments for the fall term and McGonagall taking the names of the students who would be staying at Hogwarts over the holidays. Jemma had almost written her name on the list when Otulissa delivered her a letter from her Mum saying that Vernon was taking her and Dudley to visit his Aunt Marge on Christmas. But, then, another letter had come to her from Harry who invited her to spend Christmas with him, Mrs. Andromeda, and Teddy as well as the whole Weasley family.

 _'Honestly, Jem, your Dad's downright rotten. Whisking your mum and brother off to spend Christmas without you...'_ Otulissa ruffled her feathers as her caretaker fed her bits of toast at breakfast.

Jemma pursed her lips and stroked the Spotted Owl's head. _'At least I'll get to spend Christmas with Harry. I bet it'll be a lot more fun celebrating with him,'_ she mentally sighed.

Still, the fact that Jemma's father wouldn't let her spend Christmas with him and the rest of her family stung.

* * *

The Hogwarts Express let out a final puff of steam as it rolled into Platform 9 3/4 that third week of December. The carriage doors flew open and young witches and wizards filed out. Luggage was brought down, parents hugged the children they hadn't seen in over three months, and addresses were exchanged between friends for the delivery of Christmas presents via owl.

With Seraphine perched atop Otulissa's cage, Jemma scanned the crowd for Harry while her friends reunited with her parents. "Oh, Jem! Come meet my..." Vincent was tugging his mum and dad along towards the Slytherin when he saw Jemma dash off towards a man with unruly black hair and round glasses.

"Ah, is that your... Slytherin friend, Vincent?" Bernardo Aurelius asked his son, looking at Jemma with a calculated gaze. Vincent flushed red and nodded, looking at Jemma as she happily hugged Harry.

"You didn't tell us that she knew Harry Potter," Vincent's mum remarked.

"She didn't want anybody to know," Vincent shrugged, face brightening when Jemma caught his eye and waved goodbye. Looking at each other, Vincent's parents shrugged and let their son lead them out of the station.

Harry chuckled as Jemma hugged him tightly. "Missed you," he murmured, kissing the top of his cousin's head.

"I missed you, too," Jemma giggled, looking up at him.

Going through the barrier, the two cousins hailed a cab to drive them to a street near Potter Manor. "Kreacher! Kreacher, we're home!" Jemma called out as they went inside.

Kreacher appeared with a pop And bowed to her courteously. "Kreacher is happy to see the young mistress. Shall Kreacher take young mistress's luggage upstairs?" he asked.

"That would be very helpful, Kreacher. Thank you," Jemma nodded.

As Kreacher whisked off to Jemma's room with her bags, Harry went into the dining room and set the table for lunch. Jemma hadn't eaten anything on the train and she was starving. Harry's shepherd's pie with butter rolls hit the spot.

"I'm sorry I couldn't watch your first Quidditch match, Jem. But Ginny told me that you were really good, almost getting the Snitch. That must have been some brilliant flying you did out there," Harry complimented his cousin, taking a bite out of his own shepherd's pie.

"Thanks, Harry. But, to be honest, I wasn't all that good," said Jemma, blushing, polishing off a roll.

Harry smiled at his cousin's modesty. "When's your next match?" he asked her.

"Lionus said that our next match will be a week after I get back. We'll be up against Hufflepuff. Wendy's a Beater for the team," Jemma looked up at Harry from her meal, brown eyes alight with excitement. "You'll really come and watch?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course! I already missed your first match. No way in hell am I going to miss the second one," Harry promised.

* * *

That night, Jemma counted the stars painted onto her bedroom ceiling with Otulissa and Seraphine. _'I count... Who am I kidding? You can never count the stars, even the ones painted onto a ceiling,'_ Seraphine trilled.

' _Well I think there are around 716 there,'_ Otulissa remarked, turning her head around to get a good look.

' _Looks like your estimate's not too far from the mark, Otulissa,_ ' Jemma told her as she lay on the bedroom rug, looking up at the painted stars.

Harry entered the room, carrying two mugs of hot chocolate. "Yours has extra marshmallows," he passed Jemma a mug and sat down on the rug with her. Gratefully, Jemma took a sip of hot chocolate, the warmth going right down to her toes. Outside, a light snow was falling and the two cousins and the two birds watched it fall. Harry smiled and ruffled Jemma's hair, making her laugh. But his smile faded as he remembered something. "I'm sorry about your dad..." he trailed off upon seeing Jemma's smile grow small on her face.

"It's not your fault, Harry," Jemma sighed and went over to the window. Frost was slowly creeping over the glass and she placed her hand against it. Concentrating, Jemma made her hands warm up. The resulting heat slightly melted the frost into ice water trickling down the window like rain. "I never liked spending the holidays at Aunt Marge's anyway," she said.

"Still," Harry set his mug down and walked over to stand beside her at the window. "I don't think it's fair that your father's trying to keep you from spending Christmas with your mother and Dudley," he said. He gave Jemma a worried look. "Even though he's been horrid to me because of my magic, that doesn't mean he should treat you the same way now that you can do it, too."

Jemma smiled and hugged Harry. "Dad's made his choice. I can't stop him from disliking magic, Harry, but it's all right. At least I get to spend Christmas with you this time. Except for when you were in third year, we never got to celebrate the hols when you were at school," she said, smiling up at him.

Chuckling, Harry placed an arm around Jemma's shoulders. "You always find a way to look at the bright side of things, Jem," he said.

"I try," Jemma smiled and got ready for bed. Harry tucked her in. "Will you let me go out flying with Seraphine and Otulissa in the morning?" she asked, snuggling into the covers.

"Just don't stray too far from the house. I don't want you three to freeze out there," reminded Harry and he gently kissed Jemma's forehead. Jemma smiled, then, yawned as she shut her eyes.

Harry turned off the lights and crept out of Jemma's bedroom. He went back into his own and sat down at his desk. His eyes drifted over to the case notes sent to him by some of the Aurors from the Ministry. Sighing, Harry got to work on reading them. He hadn't been part of the team sent to investigate Borgin & Burkes on Knockturn Alley a few weeks ago, but he'd been keeping track. There hadn't been much unearthed from the investigation. But the shopkeeper had been Obliviated and couldn't remember anything from the last two days prior to the Auror Department's investigation.

 _The Death Eaters are getting better at hiding..._ Harry mused, then, recalled something the older Aurors had told him. Apparently, Headmistress McGonagall had been the one to notify them regarding the suspicious activity happening at Borgin  & Burkes. For a brief moment, Harry wondered if Jemma knew anything about this before shaking his head. _She's too young to get mixed up with all of this,_ he thought to himself, deciding to go to sleep.

* * *

Clear skies and a crisp cool breeze greeted Jemma, Otulissa, and Seraphine as they launched themselves into the air. They spent half an hour soaring over rooftops before the first snowfall of the day made them turn back. A piping hot mug of black tea and a bowl of warm porridge with jam was prepared for Jemma by Kreacher while Harry served Seraphine and Otulissa a bowl of garden herbs with some bacon and toast. "Andromeda and Teddy are coming over at lunchtime. I have to go report for training. Will you be fine while I'm gone?" asked Harry as they ate.

Upon hearing Teddy's name, Jemma perked up. She'd been wanting to look after Harry's godson ever since she came back. "Sure!" she chirped.

Smiling, Harry said, "I'll leave you three to it, then. I'll be back this evening." Ruffling Jemma's hair as he headed to the fireplace to use the Floo.

"Take care, Harry! And be careful!" Jemma reminded him as he stepped into the fireplace and disappeared in a flash of green fire.

Andromeda and Teddy arrived precisely at noon. Little Teddy gurgled as he spotted Jemma and waved his chubby arms up in the air. "He wants to see his god sister," Andromeda laughed, handing the excited baby to the young girl.

"Hi, Teddy," Jemma cooed to the baby, who changed his turquoise hair and hazel eyes to black and brown to match her. They spent most of the afternoon playing together with Otulissa and Seraphine. Teddy giggled as Jemma practiced her Phoenix Soul abilities, squealing with excitement when the session ended with her transforming into a phoenix and flying around in circles high above his head.

"Harry says that you're doing well in your training. Although he hasn't had much luck in finding out more about these Phoenix Souls that you seem to be a part of," Andromeda told her as they had tea.

"It's all a mystery to me, Mrs. Tonks. The Minister told Harry and I that they don't have any records in the Ministry of Magic about Phoenix Souls. But Fawkes seemed to know about them," said Jemma as she downed a cup of tea.

"Fawkes?" Andromeda looked confused.

"He was Dumbledore's pet phoenix and Seraphine's father. When Dumbledore died, he came to my old house and entrusted me with Seraphine when she was just an egg," As Jemma said this, Seraphine fluttered down from her perch and preened her feathers. Teddy cooed and sat up on Jemma's lap. As she helped the baby in petting Seraphine, Jemma sighed, "I wish I could have asked him more about Phoenix Souls before he left. He gave me a brief summary of what abilities they have, but nothing about their history. That could help me understand myself more..."

Andromeda smiled gently. She didn't know Jemma as well as Harry, but she could tell that she was a kind girl who had a thirst to know more about magic and the powers she possessed. She handed Jemma a sandwich and poured her another cuppa. "You'll find the answers you're looking for someday, dear. Until then, just keep doing your best," she encouraged her.

Sipping her tea, Jemma nodded and resolved to carry on until she learned more about her mysterious magic.

* * *

Despite the constant wishing to have her mother and brother with her, Jemma was enjoying the holidays. She'd helped Harry and Kreacher in decorating the manor, played with Teddy whenever he and Andromeda stopped by to visit, and wrapped up dozens of presents for both her friends and Harry's. She also made sure to keep up her training in both her Phoenix Soul magic and fencing, often taking to the air in phoenix form with Seraphine and Otulissa during the morning; and practicing how to block sword blows from imaginary swordsmen behind the house in the afternoon. Often, she would lose track of time and it would take either Andromeda or Kreacher when Harry had to leave for training - to remind her to come inside for meals which consisted of warm stews, pot pies, and cups of hot cocoa or tea.

Harry tried to always come home early so they could spend some time together. On days like that, he would be found in the library reading with Jemma or helping her with her math homework. Other times, they'd play in the snow together before it got too dark. On days he would arrive home late from Auror training, Harry would quietly tiptoe into Jemma's room to kiss her goodnight and tuck the blankets around her if she'd kicked them off in her sleep.

* * *

Come Christmas Day, Jemma and Harry welcomed the Weasleys, Hermione, Neville, Luna, and several of Harry's friends into Potter Manor. Laughter filled the rooms as everybody exchanged presents and tucked into a Christmas feast prepared by Molly and the house elves.

Rich beef stews, pork pies, shepherd's pies, lamb chops, roasted turkeys and chickens with homemade stuffing and tureens of gravy and cranberry sauce, vibrant fresh salads, stacks of Yorkshire puddings and other traditional English fares were on the long dining table of Potter Manor mingling with bouillabaisse, salmon en croute, and dishes from Fleur's native France followed by sumptuous Christmas pudding, mince pies, treacle tarts, Jemma's favorite sugar pearl waffles, and gingerbread. Carols were sung, and stories and jokes were shared as a gentle snow fell outside. And everybody was treated to an indoor air show as Otulissa and Seraphine, at Jemma's command, performed tricks such as pretending to dive bomb people and doing loop-de-loops in the air.

Jemma had received plenty of presents consisting of books, clothes, and the latest in pranking novelties by Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. But, then, as the celebrations relaxed, an unexpected delivery came via owl.

' _Delivery for a Ms. Jem Dursley!_ ' an out of breath Great Gray Owl huffed, perching on the drawing room's windowsill. It was a male owl and looked like it had travelled a long way.

' _That'd be me,_ ' Jemma replied, opening the window to let him in. The Great Gray looked a bit astonished upon realizing that the young girl could understand him, but nodded and dropped a small package wrapped in red wrapping paper and tied with a green silk bow. ' _Fancy something warm before you head out?_ ' Jemma asked Great Gray hooted and his voice sounded in Jemma's head.

' _That would be lovely, Ms. Dursley._ '

With the Great Gray perched on her shoulder, Jemma headed into the kitchen and filled a cup with warm water and gave the owl a plate of leftover turkey. The owl ate quickly and was soon ready to fly out into the winter evening. ' _Thanks for the grub, Ms. Dursley. Happy Christmas!'_ he hooted before lifting off and soared away into the night.

Jemma smiled, watching the Great Gray's silhouette grow smaller and smaller until he was out of sight. She joined Harry and the rest of the family in the living room. There, she opened her last present which was the parcel the Great Gray had delivered. She unwrapped a small black box. On the box was a silver stamp depicting a large capital A with stars on the three points and surrounded by diamonds. Opening the box, Jemma gasped as she stared at the Golden Snitch bracelet nestled inside the black velvet. The silver chain glittered in the light along with the Snitch's wings. And the gold ball that made up the Snitch's body shone.

Putting the bracelet on, Jemma noticed that a small piece of parchment had been attached to the wrapping paper and was now on the floor. She picked it up and read it.

 _ **You won't lose sight of this Snitch for sure! Merry Christmas!**_

 _ **\- V**_

Jemma's cheeks grew warm as she admired the bracelet sparkling on her left wrist. It wasn't anything fancy, but it was wonderful. And, no doubt about it... Vincent had made it himself.

As Jemma admired the bracelet, Harry caught sight of it as well as the box it'd been put in. Smirking, he approached Jemma from behind. "So," said Harry, startling Jemma and she whirled around to face him. "Should we invite Vincent to dinner next week?" her cousin asked, a cheeky grin on his face.

"For the love of...! _Harry!"_ Jemma exclaimed, her cheeks now red as holly berries, and proceeded to lightly smack Harry who merely laughed. The two cousins' commotion garnered the attention of most of the guests and George was the first to notice that Jemma had gotten a unique Christmas present.

"Blimey, Jem! Someone fancies you," he held up the small box, bearing the stamp of the famous Aurelius Jewelry Company.

This caused quite a stir among the ladies, but Ginny and Luna - the only women who knew who exactly sent Jemma the bracelet - merely smiled.

Giving up on swatting Harry after a few minutes, Jemma went to play with little Teddy. An apologetic Harry followed her. "I'm sorry, Jem. I shouldn't have teased you," he said sheepishly.

"I'll let it slide because it's Christmas," Jemma huffed and played with a giggling Teddy.

"Still, it's rather sweet of Vincent to give you something like that," Harry smiled, gesturing to the bracelet.

Still blushing, Jemma shrugged. "Yeah... I guess it is..." she mumbled.

* * *

The celebrations at Potter Manor lasted late until the night and some of the guests opted to sleep over. Harry didn't mind at all as the manor had several rooms. As he assisted Kreacher and the other House Elves in cleaning up, Harry found Jemma passed out in one of the drawing rooms. Otulissa and Seraphine were sleeping next to her. Otulissa was perched on the head of the sofa Jemma was lying on; Seraphine was on the floor, her scarlet head resting next to Jemma's. Not wanting to disturb them, Harry fetched a blanket and gently draped it over Jemma's sleeping form. "Merry Christmas, Jem..." whispered Harry, placing a gentle kiss on his cousin's forehead.

* * *

 **Okay, that's the Christmas chapter done. I think I'll take a little break from Harry Potter and write another HTTYD one-shot in the meantime. But don't worry, after the one-shot, I'll get right back to this story.**

 **Oh, yeah, I'm heading back to school for my Junior year in college in 2 weeks. Updating schedule won't be so regular now and I apologize in advance.**

 **\- GuardianDragon98**


	21. HIATUS (Not a Chapter I'm So Sorry)

**HIATUS NOTE**

 **Okay, guys, I know you're going to hate me for this.**

 **Due to the piling on of papers and other requirements, I have decided to put this story on hold until December.**

 **I'm sorry, but Junior year is becoming hectic for me. And with me trying to write my own material for my Creative Fiction class, I admit that I've been losing my interest in writing fanfiction.**

 **But, maybe, come semestral break, if I read and watch Harry Potter again, I'll get my writing mojo back.**

 **Till then, stay amazing people!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	22. Chapter 21: Changes

**The new chapter is here, people! I'm so sorry for the long wait and if it's a bit short. I'm still working out the story's finer details and this serves as a means to help me get my writing mojo back after five months of academic-related writing have slightly dulled my zest for all things Harry Potter.**

 **Enjoy!**

 **NOTE: I OWN NOTHING… except maybe Jemma, Seraphine, Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence.**

* * *

 **Chapter 21: Changes**

A week later, Jemma went downstairs to have breakfast with Harry as usual only to find her Mum and brother helping Harry set the table. "Mum! Dudley!" Jemma nearly tackled Dudley down to the floor when she hugged him.

"Sorry we couldn't spend Christmas with you, Jem," Dudley murmured as he embraced his little sister. He and Petunia were still wearing their coats and scarves, probably having just arrived. Petunia took off her salmon pink coat, placing it over a folder that lay on her chair, before going to Jemma and scooping her up into a hug.

Jemma didn't say anything as she embraced her mother and brother. She just grinned from ear to ear as they sat down to a breakfast of bacon, kippers, fruit, and waffles.

After they had eaten, Jemma and Harry then gave Petunia and Dudley a tour of Potter Manor while Seraphine and Otulissa flew outside to enjoy the chilly morning air. They showed them the tapestries in the foyer, the different rooms, and chatted about their holidays. Petunia and Dudley even got to meet the house elves, whom they found to be quite charming and hospitable even though they still felt a little uncomfortable being surrounded by the creatures, their big tennis ball sized eyes staring up at them.

Kreacher merely looked at Petunia and Dudley, his bulging eyes darting back and forth between them and Jemma. "Young mistress must get her looks from Master's family," he remarked, the other elves nodding in agreement before they popped off to do their chores.

Jemma didn't know what was funnier: her Mum and brother's stunned faces or Harry's face turning red as he held his breath, vainly trying not to laugh at Kreacher's quip.

* * *

When they arrived at the library, Dudley asked if he and Harry could talk alone for a minute. Jemma said that it was okay and decided to show her mother her room while the two of them talked.

Watching his cousin lead Aunt Petunia up the stairs, Harry felt a surge of relief. He'd been worried that not being able to spend Christmas with her family had made Jemma feel resentful. Seeing Jemma happy to see her mother and brother, gladly giving them a tour of the manor and telling them about her holidays, was comforting. But, looking at Dudley, he could tell that something was amiss.

"What is it?"

Dudley rubbed the bridge of his nose. "It's about Dad…" he began as he and Harry went inside the library.

* * *

Petunia's eyes widened as she took in Jemma's room. Harry had done a wonderful job fixing up her daughter's room. He made sure that there was enough room for all of the belongings Jemma had brought with her on the day she left London. The painting on the ceiling high above her daughter's bed was enchanting. And the room's snow white walls were papered with her daughter's drawings of Hogwarts and illustrations copied from her magical textbooks, some she could see lying opened on the desk, as well as moving photographs of Jemma and her friends.

Petunia stood in the middle of Jemma's room, turning around slowly to see everything. Her daughter had made herself very much at home here in Potter Manor with Harry of that she was certain.

"I see Harry's been taking good care of you," she observed, peering into the wardrobe and noticing that some new clothes and shoes had joined the ones Jemma had packed when she was at home.

"Yeah. And he always tries to be home early from training so we could spend watch movies or read together before I go to sleep. When he's lucky enough to be here in the afternoons, we go flying out there," Jemma pointed to the Quidditch pitch outside. The three large hoops looked little more than shining silver rings covered in frost out in the distance.

After showing her some of the presents her friends from the wizarding world had given her on her birthday, Jemma sat down on the bed with her Mum and took a framed photograph from her bedside table. In the photograph, Jemma, Vincent, Wendy, and Lawrence were posing in front of Hagrid's hut, Fang drooling at their feet. Jemma was making the peace sign, Vincent just behind giving her the bunny ears and grinning mischievously, while Lawrence balanced a book on his head and Wendy did the rock on sign. The four of them were all laughing and smiling. Looking at her Mum, Jemma began to tell her about them.

"They're the first friends I ever made in the wizarding world and they're amazing, Mum. That boy with the brown hair is Vincent. He's a Gryffindor," Jemma said, pointing to Vincent in the photograph she currently held in her hands. "Vincent comes from a famous jeweler family but he doesn't flaunt his wealth by wearing anything fancy like golden cuff links or jeweled watches. But he's brilliant. Look, he even made me this." The Golden Snitch bracelet on Jemma's wrist sparkled in the morning sunlight streaming through her room's windows.

Gazing at Vincent's picture self, Jemma couldn't stop her cheeks from reddening. Petunia saw this and nudged her. "Is my little girl in love?" she asked, lightly laughing when Jemma's already red cheeks flushed even more.

"You're as bad as Harry," Jemma gave out a half-hearted groan but couldn't stop herself from giggling when her Mum tickled her arm. "I don't know if it's love yet, Mum. But I like Vincent. Even though I'm a Slytherin and Gryffindors don't always get along with us, he still wants to be friends with me and the other kids from my House."

Petunia nodded and looked at the three children in the picture with her daughter. Shame flooded her conscience. It had been a long while since she'd seen her daughter have friends. She remembered the days Jemma's old teachers in London would call her and Vernon to discuss their daughter's lack of friends on campus. Back then, she thought it was due to Jemma having trouble adjusting to the family's new life in London.

Now she knew the real reason. Her daughter didn't know where she really belonged. It was only when she let Jemma go to Hogwarts did Petunia see her daughter at her happiest with people like her, with children who shared her gifts. _Why did I ever see them as freaks?_ she thought, shame flooding her conscience, as she listened to Jemma talk about her friends.

"The boy balancing a book on his head is Lawrence. He's a Ravenclaw and he knows a lot about fantastic beasts and magical plants. But he procrastinates sometimes. There was this one time when we had to do an essay for Professor Sprout's Herbology class and Lawrence put it off until the last minute, only doing it _two nights before_ it was due. He was a nervous wreck and it took all three of us and ten Chocolate Frogs to calm him down so he could do the work. He wrote a pretty good essay in the end and got the highest marks.

"And the girl with flowers in her hair is Wendy. She's a Hufflepuff and an American. She's really sweet, Mum, but she can be scary when she's angry. She once got into a fight with a Gryffindor named Cassie because she was being mean to me. Ended up with a black eye. I felt guilty about it but she told me that no one had the right to mess with me. Wendy's the embodiment of loyalty, she's willing to be fierce when her friends need her. I wish you can meet her in person. Vincent and Lawrence, too. Hey, maybe we can invite them over for tea during the summer? We can all tell you and Dudley about our first year together at Hogwarts!"

Jemma continued, telling her mother stories about her classes at Hogwarts and Quidditch practice. Any questions her mother asked about the magical world, she did her best to answer, drawing on all the experience and knowledge she had gained so far from being in Hogwarts. And with every story her daughter told, it was as if Petunia been transported to Hogwarts herself. She ran down the ancient hallways with Jemma, had feasts in the Great Hall as owls delivered the mail, and went flying on broomsticks.

Looking at Jemma, seeing how her eyes had lit up and the tone of her voice always sounding high, gleeful, and wonderstruck as she talked about magic made it so much harder for Petunia to push on with what she and Dudley had both agreed to do on their visit.

"Jemma, dear, I need to tell you something."

Jemma closed her mouth upon hearing her Mum and nodded. She watched her mother heave a sigh, slowly removing her shoes, and sat cross-legged on her bed. Jemma copied her movements and, for a minute, mother and daughter sat across from each other on the bed with neither speaking a word.

Jemma looked at her mother, worried. Now that she had time to take a good look, she noticed that her Mum had gotten thinner and her eyes had deep bags under them. "Mum, what's wrong?" Jemma asked quietly.

Petunia gently took Jemma's hands in hers and lightly squeezed them. The corners of her eyes burned as tears threatened to well up but she blinked them away. She had to tell Jemma. She had to make sure she was ready.

"Your father, darling. He wants to file a divorce."

Icy cold dread filled Jemma's bones and she let out a shaky breath. She stared at her mother, opening and closing her mouth, wanting to say something but couldn't find the words.

Jemma was no stranger to the idea of broken families. Some of her friends from her old school in Surrey had parents who had divorced. A few were fine with it, not even fazed when asked about their family's situation. But there had been some who were uncomfortable talking about it, becoming shy and withdrawn when the matter came up. She'd seen classmates silently crying in the school bathrooms over their parents separating, seen the disappointed looks on their faces over one family member no longer coming to watch them during school plays or sports days. And she knew how the process of divorce worked. The husband and wife would separate, a settlement of accounts and property would occur…

And then the couple will decide who gets custody over the children.

"What's going to happen to me and Dudley then?" asked Jemma, squeezing her Mum's hands. She and her brother had finally buried the hatchet after years of fighting, years of her pranking Dudley whenever he bullied her and Harry, and they'd begun bonding over helping her control her Phoenix Soul abilities.

Were they going to be separated just when they'd begun to care for and trust each other as all siblings should?

"Dudley is already 18. He can live on his own if he wants to and he can choose whom he wishes to remain with between your father and I. It's you that I'm worried about," said Petunia, knowing that there was no point in sugar-coating. Jemma deserved to know what was happening.

"Is Dad going to keep me away from you?"

Jemma found herself in her mother's arms seconds after she'd asked. She felt a lump form in her throat but willed herself not to cry, focusing on the feeling of her mother embracing her and the scent of her perfume. "Not if I have anything to say about it, darling," her Mum promised, hugging her fiercely.

The thought of living with her father and not being allowed to see her mother and her brother frightened Jemma already. But another dreadful possibility took root within her brain.

If her Dad gained custody over her, would he force her to give up magic?

Would he forbid her from returning to Hogwarts and take away Seraphine, Otulissa, her wand, and all of her things from the wizarding world?

Would he beat her, like he did to Harry before, to stamp out her ability?

Would she even be allowed to _see_ Harry?

"Jemma, there's something else I need to tell you," Petunia cupped her daughter's face in her hands, stopping Jemma's already terrifying imaginings from becoming worse. "I promise you, darling, that I will fight tooth and nail to keep you with me. But I also want you to have a guardian in case something happens."

Jemma blinked then, like a candle being lit, it hit her. "Harry," she breathed, her Mum nodding.

"Exactly, Jemma. There's going to be some days when it will be best for you to remain with Harry while your father and I sort things out. I might not be able to see you all the time and, believe me, it will be hard for me. But I can rest easy, knowing that you're being cared for by someone trustworthy. That's why I'm asking you this, darling. Will it be fine with you if I appoint Harry to be your legal guardian for the time being?"

Jemma stared at the fireplace in her room, thinking hard. She loved Harry with all her heart; she'd even wished that he could have been her brother instead of Dudley sometimes. And the prospect of living with him here in Potter Manor – where she could freely interact with the wizarding world – was one of her biggest fantasies come true. Of course she would be fine with having Harry as her legal guardian!

At the same time, however, she felt angry. Her father wanted to split their family apart. He was making her Mum stressed and the signs were already apparent that this decision of his to divorce her was giving her grief. Dudley, too. Ever since they were little, he'd looked up to their father. How did he feel about Dad now that he wanted to leave Mum?

Clenching her fists, Jemma focused on the logs piled up in the fireplace. If her father were here right now, she'd scream at him, hurl all kinds of insults at his face and not care because he deserved it. He'd already abused Harry by starving him of familial love and treating him no better than a servant - something Jemma was never going to be able to fully forgive her father for – while trying to keep her away from him. And, now, he wanted to leave her, Mum, and Dudley.

It wasn't fair; it wasn't fair at all!

Fire exploded onto the logs without warning, setting the fireplace ablaze; warmth rushed over the atmosphere, the temperature steadily rising as the flames crackled and burned brightly and fiercely, leaping high up into the chimney. Petunia gasped and sweat beaded on her forehead as the heat in the room became stifling. Then she saw Jemma intensely staring into the flames with her jaw clenched tight, and her eyes softened. "Jemma," she reached out to her daughter, gently taking her fisted hands and coaxing them to open and relax.

It was enough to snap the Phoenix Soul out of the haze of red that clouded her eyes. Becoming aware of how hot her room was becoming, Jemma closed her eyes. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, she felt the heat slowly drop until the temperature became comfortably warm. When she opened her eyes, Jemma saw that the barely controlled inferno she had created earlier was now a cheerful little fire blazing in the fireplace.

"Sorry, Mum. I just lost control for a minute," mumbled Jemma, watching the flames dance, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed. "But, yes. I'm fine with Harry looking after me while you and Dad sort things out."

Petunia sat behind Jemma and gently ran her fingers through her daughter's long black hair, twisting it into little braids. "You're angry with your father. I understand. So am I, darling," she murmured.

"Why now? Why does he want to do this?"

Jemma already knew the reason when her Mum refused to answer but, for her sake, chose not to say it. When they left the room and went to the library, they found Harry and Dudley waiting for them. Jemma glanced at Harry whose gaze flicked back and forth between her and her mother. "You already told her," Harry said to his Aunt Petunia, his emerald green eyes showing worry and sympathy. Petunia nodded and produced a few papers from the folder she had brought with her. Harry looked over them, his eyes shifting behind his glasses as he read every word.

Dudley went over to Jemma and quietly asked if she could show him some of her favorite books. While reluctant to leave her Mum's side, Jemma knew that it was better to leave her and Harry alone to discuss the matter of her legal guardian and led Dudley down the rows of shelves to show him her favorites.

"It's for her protection. Vernon, he-he comes home drunk some days and I don't want Jemma to be there when the fights happen," she whispered to her nephew, folding her arms across her chest, fine wrinkles appearing on her forehead as her eyebrows furrowed.

Harry nodded, going through the forms a second time. He wanted to say that his uncle was a spiteful git for wanting to leave, but held his tongue. His aunt didn't need another reminder of the turmoil she was going through.

Dudley had already told him. About the phone calls with the lawyers he had overheard during the mornings, the times when Vernon came home drunk and screaming matches would occur that Dudley had to break up in case his Dad became violent, everything. If the environment back there in the Dursley's home in London was that bad, it was no wonder why his aunt wanted Jemma to be as far away from the mess as possible.

Agreeing to be Jemma's guardian was one way of protecting her. He'd experienced Vernon's hatred towards magic firsthand, having been forced to live in a cupboard for eleven years of his life and made to do all the chores while receiving nary a scrap of love any orphan deserved. The last thing Harry wanted for his younger cousin was to go through that same kind of treatment.

Vernon would break Jemma in trying to stamp the magic out of her. And Jemma's magic was still new to her, still far from being fully reined in. It was better for the girl to remain with someone who could help her discover and understand the full extent of her powers. Being the only magical relative Jemma had, Harry knew it was up to him to look after her.

"I'll take care of Jemma, Aunt Petunia. I promise," Harry swore, signing the forms.

Petunia gave him a grateful smile. "I know you will, Harry. You always have," she told him.

* * *

"Is it because of me?"

Harry quirked an eyebrow at Jemma whom he had just tucked in. His aunt and Dudley had left shortly after dinner, having spent the whole day at the manor with them. He could still remember Dudley's reaction when he and Jemma took turns riding the Firebolt around the pitch that afternoon. While his aunt had declined the invitation to give it a try, his older cousin had been thrilled to go for a ride with Jemma before he started screaming when the broom lifted off the ground.

But now Harry looked at Jemma, who fisted the blanket in her hands as she spoke. "Is my Dad filing a divorce because I'm… not normal?"

Sighing, Harry knelt beside the bed and held Jemma's hand. "I don't know what your Dad's thinking, Jem. But whatever's going to happen, I want you to know that none of it's your fault," he said softly.

"But what if it is?" Jemma's bottom lip quivered. "He wants to leave Mum because I'm not normal like him or her or Dudley. He even said that I wasn't his daughter anymore when I told him that I wanted to go to Hogwarts, Harry. _My family's splitting up because of me."_

The last sentence came out in a sob as Jemma finally let the tears she'd been holding back since her mother told her the news flow forth. Otulissa and Seraphine, both perched on opposite posts of Jemma's bed, fluttered down to comfort the weeping girl, cooing and chirping softly. The fire that had been burning in the fireplace died out. Harry joined the two birds on the bed and Jemma crawled into her cousin's lap, burying her face into his shirt as she cried.

"I don't w-want my family to split up. Wh-why can't Dad change his view on magic, Harry?" Jemma sobbed, her face all blotchy and tearstained, as more tears gathered in her doe brown eyes.

Harry gently brushed the pads of his thumbs against Jemma's tears as he held her close to him. "Sometimes people don't want to change, Jem, no matter how hard you try to convince them," he murmured, brushing his lips against his cousin's forehead. Then, he tilted Jemma's chin up so they could see eye to eye. "I know you've tried your hardest to convince him that magic isn't bad. If he doesn't want to change, then that's his choice. The same goes for this whole divorce. I don't know why your dad's planning on getting a divorce, Jem. But _never_ think that you're the reason why it's happening."

Sniffling, Jemma scrubbed her eyes. "Mum says you're going to be my guardian until she sorts things out with Dad. She and Dudley can still come here, right?" she asked hopefully.

"Of course they can. They just need to give me a ring," Harry reassured Jemma, ruffling her hair.

Jemma managed to crack a tiny smile then clutched onto Harry's shirt. "If Mum and Dad divorce, they get to decide who I stay with."

 _If,_ not _when._

Jemma didn't want to think about the finality her father's decision to file a divorce for now. It would consume her, make her forget about everything else except for worrying about her family.

Looking into Harry's eyes, Jemma softly said, "I'd rather stay with Mum. If I go with Dad, he won't let me see you or do magic ever again. It'll be like living in a cage. I don't want that, Harry, I don't want that to happen." The last of her tears trickling down her cheeks.

Nodding, Harry hugged Jemma tightly. Otulissa and Seraphine trilled, nuzzling Jemma's side, before soaring back up to their perches. "No one's going to cage you, Jemma. I promise," whispered Harry. He tucked his cousin back in and smiled comfortingly. "Things are going to change. But you won't face them alone."

"I won't face them alone," Jemma repeated, wiping her tears away. She closed her eyes as Harry began to sing her a lullaby. Harry's promises echoed in her brain until she surrendered to slumber's gentle hold.

* * *

 **That's the best I can come up with for now. Next chapter, I hope it will be better. If anyone has ideas on how I can improve this story, let me know in the comments or PM me. Constructive criticism is most appreciated.**

 **Oh, and before I forget, Happy Holidays everyone!**

 **-GuardianDragon98**


	23. Chapter 22: Victory With a Side Order

**I suppose you can count this as both a belated Christmas gift and an New Year's Eve present. Enjoy!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER. ALL RIGHTS GO TO J.K. ROWLING, WARNER BROS., AND ALL OTHER RESPECTIVE OWNERS OF THE BOOKS AND FILMS!**

* * *

 **Chapter 22: Victory With a Side Order of Worry**

Within the first week of January, it was common for the entire Slytherin House to find Jemma curled up in front of the common room's fireplace every morning looking like Cinderella pre-fairy godmother. And it became common for Jemma to be jarred from her sleep by Annie, Opal, Tanya, and Topaz dragging her back to their dormitory to clean her up.

Returning to Hogwarts, seeing her friends again, and getting back to learning more magic eased Jemma's worries about her family's situation; but there were nights when she couldn't sleep thinking about it. On nights like those, she'd head down to the common room to practice her fire tricks until she would fall asleep. No bad dreams about Harry being attacked by winged snakes plagued her the following nights since her return to Hogwarts so that eased Jemma's stress levels a bit, especially when schoolwork returned with a vengeance.

On top of moving on to Transfiguring crystal balls into melons, listening to Binns drone on about 17th century goblin rebellions, starting a new lesson on the properties of the Awakening Potion in Slughorn's class, and putting up with the biting chill of the Scottish winter, Jemma had Quidditch practice twice a week which began at 5 o' clock in the morning and ended at 7. She and the team would stand in the lockers, shivering as drafts blew in through the cracks, listening to Lionus ramble on about player positions and strategies then head out into the pitch to practice. On those mornings, Jemma shuffled into the Great Hall in her damp Quidditch robes — cheeks ruddy from the cold and snot dripping from her nose — and slump into the nearest bench to eat breakfast, barely able to start a conversation because her mind and body were aching from Lionus' rigorous drills and strategy plans.

But the training would be worth it, Jemma told herself, when Slytherin faced Hufflepuff some time during the month. Wendy had been training hard as well and, if rumors were true, her skills as a Beater in Hufflepuff's match against Ravenclaw at the end of November last year had garnered her a reputation of being a fierce player.

"She's got a mean swing," Jason Hammonds said during breakfast one morning when he, Jerome, and Joan sat at the Slytherin table. "The three of us were watching them practice and she hit the Bludger so hard that it went sailing off towards the Black Lake!" he sneaked a glance over to the Hufflepuff table, where Wendy was chatting with Jackson Alistair. "Weaves flowers into her hair to look sweet then turns into a beast the moment she's got a bat in her hands."

Jemma snorted at this. Oh, if only Jason knew just how terrifying Wendy could be even without a bat in her hands. She'd seen the amiable, chocolate-loving Hufflepuff turn into a raging bull the second someone pissed her or her friends off.

Anger management issues - Wendy had confided to her and the boys about it during a study break. Sometimes she had problems keeping a lid on her temper and it'd just burst out of her when the pressure became too much to bear in the form of harsh words and even harsher blows. Wendy had given numerous black eyes and bloody noses to anyone who aroused her ire. Back in America, she had turned to sports to help expel all that rage. Ilvermorny had allowed No-Maj born sports to be played around campus and she had joined many a baseball, soccer, and football match during her time there; and it did wonders for easing her volatile temper. When Wendy transferred to Hogwarts, she was disappointed in the lack of non-magical sports. Playing Quidditch as a Beater, at least, allowed her to vent any anger she experienced in a manner that ensured less damages to property.

Except for the Bludgers, the Quidditch stands if the Bludgers hit them, or any unfortunate flier if they were in the Bludgers' way when she hit them.

Knowing that Wendy was a fierce player, Jemma was looking forward to seeing her in action. The match between Hufflepuff and Slytherin couldn't have come soon enough.

Before they left the Great Hall to change their uniforms in preparation for that day's match, Jemma and Wendy both wished each other good luck. And Jemma had received a short letter from Otulissa that merely said, _**I'll be watching in the teacher's stands. Good luck! - Harry**_

Just five minutes into the game, Jemma could already tell that this was going to be a hard-fought match. She had yet to spot Harry in the teacher's stands but, even if she did see him, Jemma wouldn't have time to wave at him. She was too focused on making sure she didn't get killed.

Both teams weren't giving an inch with the Chasers swooping and dive bombing at each other in a desperate bid to grab the Quaffle and score goals. The Bludgers were relentless in their efforts to knock people of their brooms. And it seems that their favorite target was Jemma who, in the past two hours, had had to pirouette in the air on her broom a dozen times to avoid getting her skull caved in by them. It didn't help that Hufflepuff's other Beater, a broad-chested Sixth Year, kept pelting them in her direction to put the Slytherin Seeker out of play.

"Down with you snakes!" He roared, his voice a rough Scottish bur, as he swung his bat and sent one Bludger flying towards Jemma.

Wendy came swooping in and deflected the Bludger in the nick of time. "Are you trying to kill her?! 'Cause you'll have to go through me first, nimrod!" she shrieked, looking over her shoulder to make sure Jemma was okay. Jemma gave her a grateful salute and flew off. She did not want to be near Wendy's teammate.

Lionus and Derek flanked her on both sides. "Three o' clock!" roared Derek, Lionus zooming off to whack away a Bludger headed their way before it got too close. He turned to Jemma, his brow covered in frosted sweat. "Don't mean to pressure you, Jem, but if we want this onslaught to end then you better grab that Snitch."

Jemma nodded to Derek as he and Lionus peeled off to defend their Chasers before she soared up higher into the air to get a clearer view. She and the Hufflepuff Seeker had yet to find the Snitch. Slytherin was in the lead at 120 points against Hufflepuff's 100, but exhaustion was setting in. The crowds were screaming themselves hoarse. Down below, Madam Hooch had to break up a fight between one of Slytherin's Chasers and Hufflepuff's Keeper. And the Chasers from both teams, battered and bruised from being knocked against each other's brooms and their arms sore from passing and tossing the Quaffle around, were missing their shots now despite the number of penalties that were being given for committed fouls.

One of the two Seekers had to catch the Snitch and end the game for everyone's sake.

Jemma circled the air, the wind biting at her face, as she frantically searched for the Snitch. The Hufflepuff team's yellow-and-black robes made it hard for her to distinguish them from the bright golden hue of the Golden Snitch's miniscule round body, but Jemma finally saw it flitting just four feet below her.

She pointed her broomstick downwards and dove for the Snitch which quickly flew down into the chaos. Gritting her teeth, Jemma streaked across the field with her right arm outstretched. All thoughts of Bludgers and errant players knocking into her from all sides were banished as her field of vision narrowed to that glimmering speck of gold zipping across the field in front of her. Almost there… just a little more—

 _BAM!_

Jemma's whole world spun as the Hufflepuff Seeker rammed into her, sending her broom off course. Black spots danced in her vision, the force of that bodily collision had knocked the air out of her lungs, and it was a miracle she hadn't fallen off her broom. For a moment, Jemma didn't know where she was — the world a blur of red, yellow, blue, and green as dizziness assaulted her senses — until one of the Chasers from her team helped steady her broom before it smashed into one of the stands. Joan Hammonds' commentary sounded garbled as Jemma tried to regain her bearings.

"Oooh! The Slytherin Seeker has been sent spinning by Hufflepuff's Seeker Hans Myers. Luckily Terrence Sundall stopped her from hitting the stands… Hufflepuff's Hans Myers has got the Quaffle… He shoots… Westley moves in to defend… goes for the wrong hoop…! Scoop shot into the left ring! Hufflepuff scores!"

 _They only need one more goal to tie with us! I need to catch the Snitch!_ Thought Jemma once the dizziness abated and she shook her head. Her focus cleared, she surveyed the playing field. She spotted the Hufflepuff Seeker cursing in the distance. The Snitch must have evaded him again.

She still had a chance.

Thanking Terrence, Jemma flew back into the fray. A Bludger was headed straight for her, its bulging black form speeding towards her face like a bullet. Clenching her thighs, Jemma sucked in a breath… and pitched her weight to the left.

"THE SLYTHERIN SEEKER HAS JUST AVOIDED A STRAIGHT-ON COLLISION WITH A BLUDGER AND IS FLYING _UPSIDE DOWN_! You heard me, folks! The Slytherin Seeker is flying upside down!"

Jemma figured she must have looked quite a sight, her emerald green Quidditch robes billowing around her and making her look like an upturned green umbrella, as she flew across the field — still upside down to the amazement of the crowds— in a straight line. As she got to one end of the pitch, Jemma righted herself and shot up like a cork out of the bottle. She realized that she was close to the teachers' stands and, briefly, she saw a flash of green eyes as she craned her neck back to take in the stunned crowd's faces.

"Hey, Harry!" Jemma squeaked, her cousin gaping at her, before continuing her ascent. Her broom flew up, up, up until…

"Was that the Snitch?"

Jemma's Nimbus 2001 made a sharp arc, Jemma commanding it to dive. She dodged two Hufflepuff Chasers as they tossed the Quaffle back and forth, zeroing in on the Snitch hovering ten feet above the ground in the middle of the field. The Hufflepuff Seeker was zipping towards it on her left, his arm outstretched.

"COME. ON!" shouted Jemma, her broom gaining a burst of speed. Her hand closed over the Snitch's round golden form the same time the Hufflepuff Seeker barreled into her again.

This time, Jemma couldn't stay on her broom.

She barely had time to scream as she plummeted towards the ground. The crowds' shrieks echoed in her ears as she fell. Jemma swore she could hear Harry's shout of "JEM!" ringing over the crowd before something grabbed onto the back of her robes and held on tight.

"Someone get her on a broom!"

 _Wendy,_ Jemma thought as she let out a slightly hysterical giggle, glad to have been saved from serious spinal injury and that her phoenix transformation hadn't been triggered. She'd learned her lesson from her Muggle School Sports Day. If she had transformed into a phoenix during the match, that would have caused an uproar. Wendy grunted, muscles straining as she held onto her friend, until Derek arrived and pulled Jemma onto his broom, the girl going limp against him with relief.

"Thanks, Wendy," breathed Jemma, waving her free hand to the Hufflepuff.

Wendy, looking just as bone-tired as she was, managed a salute.

Derek grinned as he set himself and Jemma back down on the ground. "You did great, kid. But the next time you catch the Snitch, try not to fall off," He winked at Jemma who leaned against him, exhausted. Upon seeing the girl's confusion, he ruffled Jemma's hair. " _We won._ "

Jemma's gaze went from Derek's ruddy face to the Snitch in her grasp, its wings still weakly fluttering in her closed fist. A smile tugged at her lips as she mustered whatever strength she had left to triumphantly lift her arm to show the captured Snitch to the crowd.

The Slytherin stands burst into raucous cheering. Annie was hopping about like a crazed rabbit, whooping Jemma's name to the heavens; while Opal, Tanya, and Topaz were hugging each other and yelling "We won! We won!" to their fellow snakes who were laughing and crying in utter joy.

Up in the teachers' stands, Slughorn was merrily waving his green-and-silver scarf, shouting "Well done!" as tears of joy streamed down his face.

Jemma's teammates landed and surrounded her, cheering and patting her back. The girl blushed to the tips of her ears when Lionus hoisted her onto his shoulders and paraded her around for all to see while chanting, "JEM-MA! JEM-MA! JEM-MA!" and the entire team took up the chant. Normally Jemma would shy away from all the attention but, in that moment, with the Snitch in her hand and her team celebrating the first big win Slytherin's ever had in a long while, she didn't mind basking in the spotlight for a few moments. She laughed, pumped her fists in the air, and answered each chant of her name with "SLYTHERIN!" which her teammates answered with "FOR THE WIN! SLYTHERINS FOR THE WIN!"

Slytherins and Hufflepuffs left the stands and spilled onto the pitch to congratulate their teams. Lionus and Derek had since put her down and she was receiving more congratulations and pats on the back from her House mates when she spotted four figures not dressed in Slytherin or Hufflepuff colours making their way through the throng.

One of them was wearing a woolen balaclava but Jemma could recognize the bespectacled green eyes even from a distance. Politely excusing herself, Jemma made her way through the crowd, pulling Wendy along with her as she passed the Hufflepuffs, until the two of them were with Ginny, Vincent, Lawrence, and the balaclava-wearing stranger. Her exhaustion due to the match melted away the instant she was in Harry's arms. She giggled as her cousin spun her around, his voice muffled by his balaclava as he congratulated her.

"I am so proud of you, Jem. You flew beautifully."

"Even when I was upside down?"

"Yes, but try not to do that in future matches. You nearly gave me a heart attack," The edges of Harry's eyes crinkled in happiness as he held onto Jemma who giggled and cuddled him. "But you did great. You're definitely a Seeker."

Ginny, Vincent, and Lawrence stood by Harry, grinning ear-to-ear. They congratulated both Jemma and Wendy for their game.

"You flew _upside down_ from one side of the pitch to the other. How did you do it?" Vincent asked Jemma, an awed look on his face.

Jemma shrugged. Honestly, she had no inkling as to how she managed such a feat before turning to Wendy. "I owe you big time," she embraced the Hufflepuff.

"Seeing your team win after a long losing streak's thanks enough," Wendy hugged her back. "Although I wouldn't mind a couple of Chocolate Frogs."

"Done," Jemma giggled before her team came to take her with them to the lockers. She hugged Harry one last time.

"Are you going back to training now?"

"I have to. Robards has been needing more help with the investigations. We're all swamped," Harry murmured before looking at Jemma's team. He politely raised a hand in greeting.

They all glanced at Harry, wearing his balaclava, with puzzled looks before marching on. Jemma joined them, mouthing " _Bye Harry._ " As she left to change out of her sodden uniform.

* * *

"I told you wearing a disguise would help," Ginny elbowed her boyfriend as the crowds dispersed and they were the last to leave.

Harry snorted and pulled the balaclava off his face, his jet black hair sticking up in all directions. He'd been fortunate to have been given half of the day off to watch Jemma's match. Now he had to go back to investigating the Death Eater attacks.

A frown marred Harry's face as he thought about them. There had been more attacks in small towns far out in the countryside and, worse, while the press had yet to catch wind of it, there had been more Death Eater corpses found resembling the Serpent Man they had found last year. Whatever they were doing was raising alarms and prompting the Ministry to send more teams out into the farther reaches of the country. He and Ron were already anticipating that they'd be chosen to head out into the field soon even though they were still in training.

Ginny already knew about the situation from the letters he'd been sending her. And upon seeing Harry's cheerful demeanor diminish, touched his arm. "Be careful, okay? I know the investigation's important but you have to make sure that when this is over…" She swallowed and made Harry look her in the eye. "You'll be here, in one piece. For Jem's sake."

Harry nodded and gave her a soft kiss. Then the two of them left the Quidditch pitch hand in hand.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Slytherin locker room, Jemma was about to pull off her Quidditch robes and was surprised to find a beetle hiding under the collar. "How long have you been hiding there? Poor thing, I'm sorry if you had to endure such a wild ride…" she murmured, the beetle scuttling onto her palm. The thing must have gotten onto her uniform at some point during the match. Jemma gently placed the beetle on a bench and went into the showers to have a hot bath and change into her school robes. When she came out, the beetle was gone. That's when Jemma wondered how it had been possible for a beetle to be around during winter. As far as she knew, most insects didn't like the cold…

But then Derek chose that moment to come tell her that the whole Slytherin house was going to throw a party that night in celebration of their win, putting all thoughts about beetles in winter out of Jemma's mind.

* * *

 **Whew! Finished in time for New Year. So, yeah, the Slytherins have finally won a Quidditch match! Woohoo! High time they won a match ever since Harry Potter's Hogwarts days!**

 **As for the beetle Jemma found, those who know the Harry Potter books know the significance of that insect. Poor Jemma… let's just say her kindness towards that insect isn't going to do her any good. But we'll get to that in the next chapter or so.**

 **In the meantime, read and review. Constructive criticism (especially any advice on how to help move the story forward) is much appreciated.**

 **Oh, and before I forget… HAPPY NEW YEAR FELLOW POTTERHEADS!**

 **GuardianDragon98**


	24. Chapter 23: Wildfire Spreading

**Holy Shields, I am SO sorry this took so long, friends. I have to be honest, 2018 started off a little bleakly for me. I lost confidence in myself as a writer and was seriously contemplating giving up…**

 **But then I remembered all of you, who have followed my work as a writer of fan fiction since Day 1, and decided to keep going. This new chapter is for all of you. Thank you for all the love and support!**

 **NOTE: I DO NOT OWN HARRY POTTER! ALL RIGHTS GO TO J.K. ROWLING, BLOOMSBURY, WARNER BROS. AND ALL OTHER RESPECTIVE OWNERS OF THE FRANCHISE!**

* * *

 **Chapter 23: Wildfire Spreading**

The trouble began on Monday, the day after the Quidditch match.

During breakfast, Headmistress McGonagall announced that all First Years were required to attend a special dueling class set up by Professor Waldmunt on Saturday night in the Great Hall. The class would count as preparation for the final exams and an opportunity for the students to practice what they had learned so far in their Defense Against the Dark Arts classes.

When Richard Stuvar asked why so soon, Waldmunt stood up and said, "The earlier you learn how to defend yourselves, the safer you'll be out in the real world." Earning nods from the Headmistress and other teachers present.

If there was one thing the Battle of Hogwarts had taught the teaching staff, it was the importance of having their students trained in the art of self-defense. Learning magical combat became mandatory even for the First Years, especially because there were still Death Eaters running rampant around the country.

The students were all for it, eager to try out the spells used by Dumbledore's Army that they'd been studying in class for months. To sweeten the deal, Waldmunt had coordinated with Ginny to allow one First Year from each of the four Houses to be allowed membership into Dumbledore's Army.

The chance to be a part of the legendary Dumbledore's Army excited every First Year, Jemma especially. While friends with Ginny, she thought that proving herself to be a competent duelist would be a better way to gain membership into Dumbledore's Army rather than simply asking Ginny for it. Ginny had asked Jemma a few times if she wanted to join last year and but she always declined, believing that her skills were far from being considered DA-worthy. There was also the nagging doubt in her head that a Slytherin wouldn't be accepted into Dumbledore's Army regardless of their skill.

No Slytherins had joined the DA during Harry Potter's time, and there hadn't been any since. Even when Ginny opened membership to all Houses, Slytherins still refused to join Dumbledore's Army because of their House's tarnished reputation during the Second Wizarding War. But Waldmunt's announcement that one First Year from each House would be able to join Dumbledore's Army if they did well in Saturday's dueling class was a chance for Slytherin to regain the respect and trust of the other Houses. And Jemma was ready to take that chance, throwing herself into rehearsing spell incantations and practicing wand movements with her friends during study breaks.

"It'd be great if Harry could give us some pointers on dueling. Maybe you can owl him for advice?" Vincent asked her on Thursday as they looked up defensive spells in the library's many tomes dedicated to combat magic.

"'Disarm your opponent as quickly as possible.' That's all he told me," said Jemma as she skimmed through _Practical Defensive Magic and Its Use Against the Dark Arts._ "I'd ask him for more advice, but he's at Cardiff and he won't be back for two weeks."

As she and Vincent continued their research in silence, Jemma wondered if Harry would be all right. All he said in his letter to Jemma was that he was going with an investigatory team to track down Death Eaters that had been spotted down in Cardiff, and that he wouldn't have time to write her any more advice. And, as much as she believed that Harry — having defeated one Dark wizard — could take care of himself, Jemma couldn't help but worry a little.

* * *

Saturday night came and all 22 First Years packed into the Great Hall, chattering to one another. Looking around, Jemma saw that the long tables and benches had vanished. The enchanted ceiling showed a purple-black sky speckled with stars and the full moon glowing bright. Torches lined the walls, the flames crackling among the din.

Waldmunt and Professor Flitwick, both dressed in black-and-white robes resembling referee uniforms, were waiting for them. Ginny stood slightly apart from them, clad in her school robes, and with a clipboard in hand. "Professor Flitwick and I will go first to provide you all a refresher on some of the spells we've been learning in class. Pay attention. We don't want any accidents occurring when we pair you lot off for dueling," said Waldmunt, his caramel eyes roving over his students.

"I heard Flitwick was a champion dueler back in the day," Harold whispered as the two professors stepped forward to the center of the Great Hall, faced each other, and bowed. Then they both turned around and strode to opposite ends of the Great Hall before facing each other again, their wands raised like fencers preparing to duel.

What followed was something Jemma could only describe as a dance.

Waldmunt and Flitwick traded spells back and forth, neither wizard giving an inch, and their arms cut through the air as they brandished their wands as if they were swords. Professor Waldmunt preferred to use defensive spells over offensive ones as he focused on slowing Professor Flitwick down in order to Disarm him quickly, keeping a safe distance of three feet between him and the Charms professor. But where Flitwick lacked in size, he made up for it with his relentless attacks and the stunning array of charms he used against Waldmunt.

" _Avis!_ " A flock of yellow canaries burst forth from the tip of Flitwick's wand. " _Oppugno!_ " Flitwick pointed his wand at Waldmunt who yelped as the canaries shot forward and proceeded to peck him black and blue, much to the students' amusement. Waldmunt vanished the canaries but didn't have enough time to cast another defensive spell before the diminutive Head of Ravenclaw Disarmed him. _"Expelliarmus!"_ Flitwick shouted and a flash of scarlet light hit Waldmunt straight-on, sending him sprawling onto the floor.

"The bigger they are, the harder they fall," Tanya mumbled as Waldmunt got up, brushing yellow feathers off his robes.

Flitwick shook hands with him and turned to the First Years. "Well, now that Professor Waldmunt and I have demonstrated some of the charms, jinxes, and curses you may use in combat, we'll now hold the duels. Ms. Weasley will judge the students' performances and, on Monday, she will announce who among your Houses will be allowed to join Dumbledore's Army," he informed them.

Ginny joined the professors in pairing the students off. Jemma moved towards Annie but Waldmunt came and took the latter gently by the arm. "It's best to pair up with a student from a different House, Ms. Dursley," He advised her before pairing Annie with Gloria Knowlen.

Flitwick approached Jemma and led her to Cassie.

Irked by Slytherin's recent Quidditch win, Cassie swore to take Jemma down a peg by besting her in dueling. The moment she saw who Flitwick had picked to be her dueling partner, her coal eyes took on a deadly glint. As for Jemma, she wasn't sure whether to plead with Flitwick to partner her up with someone else or literally take flight, even if it meant exposing her Phoenix Soul abilities to the entire class. When Flitwick ushered them to the middle of the Great Hall, the other ten pairs now spread out through the area, Jemma knew that it was useless asking to switch partners now. Sweat beaded on her forehead and her left hand tightened its grip on her wand. She knew Cassie was out to get her so she might as well make sure that their duel ended quickly.

"I'll go easy on you, little snake," sneered Cassie, a hungry gleam in her eyes.

"I doubt that," muttered Jemma sotto voce as they faced off, wands at the ready.

Flitwick, Ginny, and Waldmunt all stood on the high table overlooking the 11 pairs of students. As one, they raised their wands to the ceiling and sent up red sparks.

"BEGIN!" Waldmunt thundered and a flurry of spell-casting commenced. The air crackled with energy as students fired spells at one another, streaks of green, pink, red, yellow, purple, and blue light erupting from their wands.

Jemma stepped forward and cried " _Expelliarmus!_ " sending a bolt of red light at Cassie. The Gryffindor ducked and retaliated with a Stunner that sent Jemma flying. She landed on her back, the wind knocked out of her lungs.

Cassie watched with cruel smirk on her face as the Slytherin got up and and raised her wand again to fire another spell.

Jemma quickly yelled out, " _Protego!_ " and silver dome appeared around her, Cassie's spell bouncing off of it.

"A shield can only help you for so long!" Cassie snarled at her and continued bombarding Jemma with jinxes and curses.

The other students, however, were unfortunate to be hit by Cassie's spells as Jemma continuously deflected them.

Vincent and Opal were both hit by a deflected Tripping Jinx mid-duel that sent them crashing to the floor and their Disarming Charms misfired, hitting Miranda Berkley and Wendy as they dueled beside the two.

Annie and Gloria Knowlen, the closest to Jemma and Cassie, were now doubled over with laughter, a deflected Tickling Charm having hit them.

Already, most of the students had finished with their duels. Some of them were already being escorted to the sidelines by Professor Waldmunt and Ginny where Flitwick dealt with the aftereffects. The only pairs left dueling were those of Lawrence and Tanya, Alexander Stuvar and Harold Cadance, and Cassie and Jemma. But as Cassie continued going on the offensive, Jemma using her Shield Charm to continuously block her spells, the other two pairs were eventually put out of action. Harold had just Disarmed Alexander when a deflected Full-Body Bind Curse hit him, and Alexander had to drag him over to the side. Lawrence was able to hit Tanya with a Stunner and Disarm her and, now, the pair of them backed off as Jemma and Cassie's duel continued in earnest.

Jemma, who was slowly getting backed into a corner, knew that she couldn't hold off Cassie's attacks forever. Her shield was beginning to crack. She needed to fight back. Putting her fencing skills to good use, Jemma began to advance towards Cassie in a counterattack. She deflected Cassie's spells with the grace of a dancer, her arms whirling as she switched her wand from her left hand to her right, and regained her footing as she went on the offensive. " _Aguamenti!_ " she shouted and a jet of water shot out of her wand, soaking the floor beneath Cassie's feet. Jemma quickly cast a Freezing Charm, a blast of icy air freezing the water into solid ice and rooting Cassie to the spot. Incensed, Cassie swung her wand in a high arc and shrieked, " _INCENDIO!"_

Jemma could barely hear the screams from the other students over the thumping of her own heart as she instinctually thrust out her free arm, palm up. The jet of fire spewing from Cassie's wand immediately halted, just millimeters away from Jemma's hand, before swirling upwards and forming itself into a fireball in midair that dropped down into the palm of Jemma's hand.

Cassie's eyes threatened to pop out of their sockets as she stared at the fireball, as did all the other First Years who were now openly gaping at the scene.

Jemma forgot about the duel for a moment and stared at the fireball blazing brightly in the palm of her hand. It didn't hurt holding it. And a pleasant thrum, much like that of a heartbeat's, was emanating from the fireball as Jemma regarded it with fascination. Then she tore her eyes away from the thing, suddenly aware of the crowd watching, and remembered her present situation. She closed her fist and the fireball disappeared, leaving wisps of smoke seeping out between her fingers. Taking a deep breath, Jemma pointed her wand at a still gaping Cassie.

" _Expelliarmus!"_

With the duel over, Jemma let herself relax. She calmly approached Cassie and undid the Freezing Charm, giving her a curt nod, before heading to the sidelines. The others were all looking at her, whispering behind their hands, and drew away from Jemma at either sides as if she would suddenly burst into flames if they got too close. Honestly, Jemma couldn't blame them if they couldn't help it. If she'd seen someone take control of a Fire-Making Charm, she'd stare too. But the stares and mutterings made her fidget and press her back to the wall. She didn't know what else to think, other than the fact that what happened was surely going to be the central gossip topic the following morning.

"Ms. Dursley, a word?" Waldmunt approached Jemma while Flitwick led the rest of the class out of the Great Hall, some of them still discreetly pointing at Jemma and murmuring. "I have to say that what you did was—well—remarkable, but quite unexpected. Are you injured?" he gestured to Jemma's right hand.

Jemma inspected her right palm and noticed that her palm was smudged with soot. Waldmunt noticed this as well and handed Jemma a handkerchief.

"No burns, sir," said Jemma, wiping the soot off her palm.

Nodding, Waldmunt looked over his shoulder and saw Ginny, who was seeing the last student out. She held Waldmunt's gaze for a moment before tapping her clipboard and stepped out the doors. Knowing that the Head Girl for Gryffindor will be waiting for him along with Flitwick in his office, Waldmunt turned back to Jemma. He opened his mouth but closed it, his gaze never leaving Jemma's now clean hand and the handkerchief stained black with soot. "Well, if you don't have any injuries, better head off to bed," he told her at last.

Jemma cocked her head to the side. She had a feeling that Waldmunt wanted to say something about the little surprise trick she performed in the duel earlier but had decided not to, and she was grateful for it. Telling him about Phoenix Souls would probably be too confusing for the both of them.

Jemma wished Professor Waldmunt good night then left the Great Hall. Vincent, Lawrence, and Wendy were waiting for her, their faces creased with worry.

"Please tell me you didn't get hurt handling that fireball," said Wendy, grabbing Jemma's hand. Jemma bristled at her actions and yanked her hand away.

"Cassie didn't hurt you too much, did she?" Vincent's eyebrows furrowed as his eyes looked over Jemma from head to toe.

"I'm fine," said Jemma, hands fisting into her robes.

Lawrence gave Vincent and Wendy a sharp look. "Let her have some space, you two. She'll tell us when she's ready," he said, squeezing Jemma's shoulder in reassurance.

Jemma gave Lawrence a grateful smile and yawned. She hadn't realized that she was utterly exhausted until Ginny and Flitwick – having sent all the other First Years back to their common rooms – caught the four of them still lingering in the antechamber. Ginny took Vincent and they walked in the direction of the Gryffindor common room, Flitwick led Lawrence back to Ravenclaw tower while Wendy headed back to the Hufflepuff dorm on her own. Jemma dragged her feet, sleepily rubbing her eyes, as she made her way back to the dungeons. Her House mates surrounded her the minute she stepped inside the common room, spouting off questions about the duel. What Jemma had done was something they'd never seen before and they were all dying to know how she did it.

Jemma wrapped her arms around her stomach and bit her lip, not in the mood to discuss it. But before she could tell them to leave her be, Snape phased through the wall and glowered at the gaggle of First Years.

"I'm surprised that even a night of barely competent dueling has failed to lessen any of your exuberance. The hour is late and others are trying to sleep. I suggest that all of you do the same," he told them, his sullen eyes piercing against the pearly translucence of his sallow face.

Mumbling apologies to Jemma, the First Year Slytherins headed to their dormitories. Once she and Snape were alone, Jemma sighed softly.

"Thanks. For a minute there, I was ready to tell them to lay off. What I did back in the Great Hall— I've done it before, but never during a duel…" Jemma paused then tilted her head up at Snape. "Were you watching us?"

Snape resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I mentioned 'barely competent dueling' earlier, didn't I?" he asked rhetorically.

Jemma looked down at her shoes, blushing furiously, then shivered as Snape drew near, his presence akin to standing near an air conditioning unit going full blast.

"Your dueling skills need improvement, Ms. Dursley, and, frankly, showing off your ability to control a Fire-Making Charm will only subject you to scrutiny," Snape told her before his lips twitched into a small smirk. "Nonetheless, I found your use of _Aguamenti_ with a Freezing Charm to be an effective method of hindering your opponent's movements."

Alive or dead, Snape rarely complimented anyone so it was a surprise for Jemma to hear him praise her. "Thank you, sir," she mumbled, not quite meeting Snape's eyes, and shuffled away from him. "Well, I should… Um… good night," she added before retreating to the girls' dormitory.

Annie, Opal, Tanya, and Topaz's beds already had their curtains drawn by the time Jemma crawled into bed, still dressed in her school robes. Lying in the dark, Jemma thought about what tomorrow would bring. There was no doubt that she would be peppered with questions by everyone, and the thought of revealing herself to be a Phoenix Soul made her nauseous.

Would people see her as some sort of super-witch or as a walking fire hazard? She recalled Harry's experiences in his Second Year, of how most of his classmates feared him when he discovered that he was a Parselmouth, and felt her guts twist themselves into knots as she imagined herself being avoided in the hallways. She'd already experienced that sort of isolation back at her old school in London, and she didn't want a repeat of it here in Hogwarts.

Being a Slytherin and trying to prove that you weren't evil was already hard enough.

Jemma wondered if Ginny would tell Professor Waldmunt about her powers. The Headmistress knew about Jemma being a Phoenix Soul and maybe it was fair that the other teachers knew about it too. But before she could further ponder on these things, fatigue overcame Jemma and she dropped off to sleep.

Waking up, Jemma found herself alone in the dormitory. "Stupid, stupid, stupid… I overslept," she muttered as she hastily pulled her disheveled hair into a ponytail, not bothering to change out of her wrinkled uniform. She exited the dormitory, took a second to glance at the day's password ( _veritas amarum_ ), then left the dungeons in a hurry. She ran down the passageway, stampeded up the stone steps, and burst out of the door.

Then she remembered that it was a Sunday and mentally kicked herself. "I am such an idiot," mumbled Jemma. She walked to the doors leading into the Great Hall and stopped, debating whether to go in and have all the students in her year gawk at her or to sneak back to the dungeons and get more sleep. The growling of her stomach pushed Jemma to choose the first option. Bracing herself, she pushed one of the massive doors open and crept inside.

Students were having breakfast and chatting, the clinking of spoons and forks against plates mingling with snatches of conversation. Ginny was clutching _The_ _Daily Prophet_ and talking to Jemma's friends at Slytherin table, a thunderous expression on her face. Annie, Opal, Tanya, and Topaz all looked terrified.

"And none of you said anything?" Ginny asked them.

"We promised to say nothing, Ms. Weasley. We swear!" Annie insisted.

Tanya looked up from the table and her face went pale. "She's here," she said out of the corner of her mouth.

Ginny turned her head towards the doors and spotted Jemma. The Slytherin passed by the Gryffindor table and the entire hall was silenced. Students shot furtive looks at Jemma, who looked both embarrassed and puzzled at the same time. Even the teachers were silent, looking at one another.

Sighing, Ginny went to her. "Jem," she managed to say before someone hollered, "Oh, look! It's Harry Potter's turncoat cousin!"

That taunt echoed in the Great Hall was followed by McGonagall reprimanding whoever had hurled it, then the murmurings and whisperings began.

"Ginny?" Jemma's face was white as a sheet.

Ginny's face was pained as she handed the girl the newspaper. Already shaken by what she'd just heard, Jemma looked at the front page. The headline title alone was enough to make her feel like she'd been kicked in the stomach.

 _ **Pride or Shame? The Dirt on Harry Potter's Slytherin Cousin**_

* * *

 **Well, looks like the cat's out of the bag.**

 **And, again, I'm sorry to say that my updating schedules are going to be completely random from this point on. I'm already on the last semester of my Junior year in college and, afterwards, I need to take an internship. Also, I admit that I still have a lot to learn about creative writing – from character and plot development to building up tension – and, frankly, this story has been going a bit slow. So it will be a while until you see another chapter of this fan fic.**

 **But, from the bottom of my heart, I want to thank you all for the continuing support. You guys have no idea how much your taking the time to read and review, favorite, and follow this story means so much to me.**

 **Until the next chapter!**

 **\- GuardianDragon98**


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